


The Maximoff Curse

by scatteringmyashes



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: AU, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Feels, Historically Accurate, I Tried, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean AU, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-04-01 07:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4010476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteringmyashes/pseuds/scatteringmyashes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William "Billy" Kaplan is the adopted son of a well-off British family and just happens to be engaged to one Miss Kate Bishop. Regardless, of course, of what he actually wishes. It seems like nothing will change his fate, not even a strange encounter with a pirate with white hair. But when another pirate known only as "Loki" invades the town and kidnaps Theodore "Teddy"-- Billy's personal servant and childhood friend, well, Billy isn't going to take that sitting down. </p><p>He's lucky that the white-haired pirate is willing to help. Teddy, on the other hand, is not quite as lucky. </p><p>Trapped aboard Loki's ship, Teddy realizes that the captain believes he can break a curse that's been in effect for half a century-- one that can only be broken by one with Maximoff blood. And why does Loki think Teddy is a Maximoff? Because of a necklace he took off Billy ten years ago.</p><p>Full of hijinks, pirates, and everything you'd imagine from our favorite heroes taking part in such wild antics! (Pirates of the Caribbean AU but with many liberties taken)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written fan fiction in a while but I saw this great prompt on tumblr and I just had to write it-- basically the premise was a Pirates of the Caribbean AU for Billy and Teddy. Depending on how my work schedule goes, I'll be updating this once a week. 
> 
> Enjoy~

William Kaplan, who much preferred the name Billy regardless of how “informal” it was, found himself woken by the blinding morning light spilling over his face as his personal maid pulled back the curtains. Moaning, Billy rolled over and pulled the covers over his head, only to have them yanked away. 

“With all respect, sir, I’ve been told to wake you up with as much force necessary,” the servant said, not at all apologetic. “Your mother told me to dump a bucket of ice water on your head but I thought that might be a little excessive.” Billy sighed and sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. It would have to do, since he had the feeling he was already late enough; unlike his father, he refused to wear one of the ridiculous wigs and instead let it grow out until he could tie it back in a queue.

“Teddy, with all respect, I do not care if you dump the entire Thames on my head. I am not getting up this morning unless the house is on fire,” Billy replied anyway. The servant, Teddy, frowned. Billy held back a sigh; the blonde knew he had far more influence over his master than the typical servant. Partially because they had grown up as friends, and partially because Billy was a soft-hearted idiot for him. “Fine,” Billy snapped. “What am I doing again today?” He tried to pretend the smile that appeared on Teddy’s face didn’t make his heart flutter. 

“You are required to escort Miss Bishop to the hanging. If you do not get up, I have full permission to drag you out by your ankles.” Teddy paused. “Unless you want me to fetch your mother…?” Billy sighed and threw the remainder of the covers aside and stood. Teddy brightened even more, though Billy couldn’t honestly tell if it was just a show of confidence. “Very good. Aren’t you glad I took the liberty of having your clothes set out last night instead of fussing with it this morning?” 

Billy held back the urge to make an unfairly rude gesture in Teddy’s direction. The young man was only doing his job, which was helping Billy get through his days regardless of what it took. It certainly wasn’t Teddy’s fault that Billy found himself in an arranged marriage with a woman who, while intelligent and not unattractive, did not hold any sway over Billy. Then again, it wasn’t Miss Bishop’s fault that Billy was, simply put, not interested. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault. 

Maybe Billy’s. It might be his fault.

“Are you going to be joining us at the hanging?” Billy asked as he finished drying his face. He stepped behind a divider and stripped, mostly out of habit than anything else. As young boys, he and Teddy had done everything together, including bathe. It wasn’t until they were older that the differences in their situations really made a mark.

“No; I’m due at the blacksmith’s today.” Billy nodded even though Teddy couldn’t see him. The blonde was an apprentice at the blacksmith’s, the only profession he could really aspire to unless he wanted to go into the military. It wasn’t that Teddy was unintelligent; in fact he could read almost as well as Billy and, more often than not, did sums better. It was just a matter of influence and money, both of which Teddy was short on.

“I’ll trade you,” Billy replied after a moment, only partially joking. “Think I could make a horseshoe?” He didn’t fancy seeing a hanging, nor did he look forward to spending the rest of the day with Miss Bishop and her chaperon. Again, it was nothing against the lovely lady. There were just other things Billy would much rather be doing, like talking to Teddy or wandering around the countryside with Teddy.

“You’d probably set the whole town on fire,” Teddy answered without hesitation. Billy rolled his eyes and finished putting on that day’s clothes. The fabric was heavy and clung to his skin, and this was before walking around in the summer heat. It was going to be mild hell today, he just knew it. Teddy looked far more comfortable in his simple, if rougher, attire. 

“How do I look?” Billy asked, fingers stumbling over his neckcloth as he stepped around the divider. Teddy stepped forward and helped him, their fingers brushing for a moment. If Billy felt anything he ignored it, forcing himself to focus on the open window behind Teddy and not the man himself. 

After a quick fix, Teddy stepped back and nodded. Billy glanced aside to look at the mirror, unimpressed with his appearance. He wasn’t tall and muscular like Teddy, though in all fairness the blonde did do substantially more physical labor than he. But when compared to others his age, Billy knew he was no fine specimen. What he lacked in physical attributes, though, he made up for in witty comments. 

That was one thing he liked about Miss Bishop. At least she understood sarcasm when she heard it.

“Ready to see the rest of society?” Teddy asked. Billy gave him a glare and the blonde laughed. “Really, Billy, you act like you are the one to be hung. Surely it cannot be that bad.” Like everyone else Billy knew, Teddy acted as if he were in full support of the marriage. It was only in his subconscious movements or the way he made no effort to befriend Kate that Billy knew that Teddy had other thoughts. 

“Lead the way, my trustworthy companion,” Billy replied in lieu of actually answering the question. Teddy shrugged and did so, the two leaving the comfort and relative security of Billy’s private chambers. 

The rest of the house was rather well decorated. Well, the entire mansion was, but Billy liked to think that he kept things simpler. Much more so than his mother at least, who seemed to enjoy collecting trinkets and portraits of people and things that she had never seen in person. Still, it was home and Billy would not trade it for the world. 

“And the slumbering gentleman wakes,” Billy’s adoptive mother commented as he walked down the stairs to the dining room. Teddy followed at a respectful distance, nodding to the mistress of the house. “Thank you, Teddy. If Billy doesn’t need anything else…?” Billy shook his head. “You can go to the blacksmith. Just be back in time for dinner,” the woman reminded Teddy, who had an unfortunate habit of getting distracted and arriving at the house several hours late. 

At least, that was the official story. The unofficial one was that Teddy kept seeing some poor fool getting mugged and couldn’t help but assist. Thanks to his large size and the strength gained from hours of beating on iron and steel, the fights never lasted long. Nor, even more fortunately, did Teddy ever return more injured than could be explained by a minor accident at the forge. The Kaplans were kind and generous people, both for taking Billy in after finding him floating in the Atlantic and for continuing to support Teddy after his mother died, but there was a limit to their patience. 

“I’ll do my best, ma’am,” Teddy replied with a casual smile. He nodded to Billy and gave Mrs. Kaplan a deep bow before turning on his heel and leaving. Billy watched Teddy leave and didn’t sit until the blonde was fully out of view. 

Mrs. Kaplan, Billy’s adoptive mother, was a mild-mannered woman who only insisted that her household be run properly and her sons not get into too much trouble. She was good with people and intelligent, more so than his father who was better known for his book knowledge than his people skills, but never had received a formal education. Billy loved her as much as he could, but recently their relationship had been… strained.

In theory, however, eating made it difficult to talk. In practice, Mrs. Kaplan let nothing interfere with her giving advice and bits of information that she believed to be correct. Billy was fine with his mother’s talks, as long as she didn’t actually try to impose any of her ideas on him. He was, after all, more than old enough to manage his own affairs… Give or take a few areas here and there. Still, his age had nothing to do with the very simple fact that she had always wanted a daughter.

“Miss Bishop is very much looking forward to this morning,” she was saying. _I sincerely doubt that,_ Billy thought, though he was wise enough not to say anything. “And of course you will need to console her after the hanging; I’ve only been to one myself and it was absolutely dreadful but her father insisted that she go in order to experience it.” Mrs. Kaplan shrugged and proceeded to instruct the servants to clear away the dishes, though there was still plenty of food on them. 

_Father and the twins must be out already,_ Billy realized. He glanced at the clock that stood against the wall and realized, with a minor shock, that his mother must have waited specifically so they could talk. He couldn’t tell if the feeling in his stomach was relief, nerves, or some combination thereof. 

“Are you not coming then?” Billy asked, curious. His mother laughed.

“Of course not, I have things to prepare.” _Like your wedding arrangements._ It was implied and Billy was grateful she didn’t say it aloud. “I believe your chaperon will be her personal servant, that blonde one.” Billy mentally ran through Miss Bishop’s servants, though he couldn’t help but think that his mother should know more about the general Bishop staff if their households were to, essentially, be merged. 

“Clint?” His mother waved a hand and stood.

“It hardly matters. I trust you will arrive on time and still presentable if I leave you?” Billy nodded and took one last bite of his food before allowing the servants to take away his plate. He stood, cleaning his hands on a napkin. “I’ll be back before dinner. Try not to fool around too much; we don’t want you to scare away the poor girl.” Though she was teasing, Billy could tell that she was honestly worried about his chances. It was touching and, well, completely necessary though not for the reasons she undoubtedly thought. 

No, Billy was not going to run off with another girl that had caught his eye in the market or anything like that. He hardly ever left the house unaccompanied for one, and his experience with the fairer sex had left much to be desired for anyone who wasn’t his mother. Or, on occasion, Miss Bishop. Billy spent the vast majority of his time with Teddy, except for the last few months. They hadn’t grown distant, not yet, keeping to nighttime chats in order to stay knowledgeable in one another’s lives.

One thing, however, that they almost never spoke of was Billy’s engagement. At least under the cover of night they did not need to pretend that Billy was actually excited for it.

“Have a good day, mother.” Mrs. Kaplan left and Billy let out a heavy sigh. “Have the men bring around the carriage,” he instructed one of the serving girls. “I wouldn’t want to be late.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for not updating yesterday, I just got back from con and it completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to update. In other news, I may be starting a Young Avengers cosplay group so expect a bit of self-promotion. Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter as much as the last!

“Good morning, Mr. Kaplan.” The butler greeted Billy with a shallow bow and led him into the drawing room, where Miss Bishop and her personal servant were waiting. Kate Bishop, the sole daughter of the wealthy entrepreneur Mr. Bishop, was reading a book and snapped it closed when she heard Billy enter. 

“Miss Bishop.” Billy cleared his throat and gave her a small bow. She stood and curtsied with more grace than most could ever dream of. 

“Mr. Kaplan.” She offered him her hand and he kissed her knuckles before straightening up and nodding at her servant. Clint was perpetually silent, his eyes scanning his surroundings, and Billy often wondered if he had served in the army before his current occupation. 

“Are you ready? My carriage is still at the front and I thought we might leave early so as to secure a good view of the hanging,” Billy said. Kate nodded and allowed herself to be led and helped into the carriage, Clint following behind. Soon the couple and their chaperon were safely away towards the local militia base, where the hanging would take place. 

“Have you ever seen a pirate before?” Kate asked, curiosity tracing her voice. Billy blinked, drawing his eyes away from the window where he was looking at the crowd of strangers, trying to see if he recognized anyone. 

“Pardon?” The carriage lurched forward before stopping, their progress slow due to the mass of people attempting to get somewhere soon. 

“Pirates,” Kate repeated. “I’ve only seen pictures of them. Have you seen them before?” It was an honest question and Billy felt it deserved an honest answer.

“When I was younger, my family and I were traveling back from the continent and we were attacked by a group of pirates.” Upon seeing Kate’s startled expression, Billy shrugged. “I don’t remember much. All I know is the ship was sunk and I proved the only survivor. Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan were returning from the colonies and found me.” Billy frowned. “My apologies, Miss Bishop. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” She shook her head.

“No apologies are necessary, Mr. Kaplan. I only hope that justice was brought for your family and the other poor souls who were on the ship.” Kate shifted in her seat, glancing at Clint before looking back at Billy. “My father is one of the main supporters of the latest anti-piracy bill in Parliament. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?” 

And thus their conversation fell into politics (which, fortunately, Billy and Kate mostly agreed on), colonial policies (“Of course they should pay proper taxes; we protect them after all”), and then the touchy subject of slavery (again, it was fortunate that Billy and Kate both agreed that the practice was abhorrible). Those topics managed to bring them to where the hanging would take place, with a good quarter hour before the event was to actually occur. 

The two stepped out of the carriage and were followed by Clint, who had remained silent and with a blank expression during the whole journey. It was not so much unnerving as it was extraordinarily polite. 

“Clint, stay with the carriage and help Mr. Kaplan’s men secure the horses. Billy,” it was the first time Kate referred to him with his first name, “and I will be fine.” Clint made no motion to help Billy’s struggling driver. The horses were unnerved for whatever reason; Billy wondered if a storm would arrive that night. He had noticed the horses could tell when the weather would turn sour. 

“I will protect her honor and we will not venture far,” Billy promised. Clint focused on him for a moment before nodding and going to help the driver. Kate offered her hand to Billy and the two found themselves wandering the courtyard. If not for the noose and the redcoats standing at the perimeter, it would have been a pleasant area. Not Billy’s first choice for a walk, but not the worst by any means. 

Billy led Kate up a set of stairs that brought them to a veranda overlooking the ocean. There were cannons every few meters, all pointed towards where Britain’s enemies would appear. The view, however, was spectacular. Billy had always loved the ocean, to many people’s surprise. Though it was where he lost his family, it still commanded his respect and it held still for no one. There was something beautiful about how wild it was. 

“Billy, eh?” He couldn’t help but comment, smiling at Kate. She blushed and looked away, crossing her arms. 

“I thought I might-- if it isn’t too direct-- call you more than just an acquaintance of mine. And considering our situation, well, calling you Mr. Kaplan all the time is just dreadfully… formal.” Billy was inclined to agree.

“If it isn’t too direct then, I will refer to you as Kate.” She nodded, her blush fading as she looked back at him. No, there was no love between them, but maybe their marriage could be one of friendship. Billy supposed that was the best he could hope for. 

“May I be honest with you, Billy?” He nodded. “I know you have as much interest in me as I do you. That is to say, I doubt we could ever be more than friends.” Kate hesitated but decided to continue. She was being quite bold, but Billy didn’t mind. It was a weight off his shoulders to know she understood at least a little. “But I would enjoy being your friend, if my more… natural personality doesn’t scare you off.” Billy smiled.

“Kate, I just spent the last half hour talking with you in more depth than anyone else except for one person. I think we will get along just fine.” Kate brightened and nodded.

“Well in that case, I suppose I should relax. At the very least our parents can be safe in knowing we won’t try to kill each other immediately after marriage.” Billy laughed. It was a pleasant, natural sound and Kate found herself smiling despite the urge to scowl. “What, you don’t think I could?” 

“Oh no, I have no illusions about the so-called fairer sex. I just find it amusing that you had such high hopes for our marriage.” Billy thought about it. “I at least thought that we would pump out a few heirs, maybe settle down in the countryside, and then snap and be the nation’s scandal for a few days.” Kate snorted.

“Whatever you believe, Billy.” She looked down at the courtyard, where a group of people were starting to gather. “Do you actually want to see this?” Billy shrugged.

“My mother will harass me constantly for details so we might as well. And it isn’t as if the man doesn’t deserve it.” He offered Kate his arm and she took it, though as they walked down to the courtyard it wasn’t clear if anyone was leading. “If one chooses a life of piracy, one must accept the consequences that come with it.” 

“What if there wasn’t a choice though?” Kate asked. Billy shrugged. 

“There’s always a choice.” Kate looked as though to argue when the drums started to echo throughout the yard. The crowd fell silent, the rat-a-tat-tat rolling over them. An execution wasn’t unusual, but it was rare enough that the courtyard was crowded with people. Billy felt his hand brush against Kate’s. They gripped onto one another with surprising force, though Billy wasn’t sure if it was fear of being separated or fear of what was about to happen. 

The pirate was led out in shackles, his eyes downcast and sunken into his skull. He was thin, abnormally so, as if he had stopped eating before his execution. There were faded marks across his skin, half invisible from a tan that would have put some farmers to shame. It took a moment to realize that they were not all tattoos. Some were brands, left from past crimes, and others were scars that never healed properly. 

It was rather odd for Billy to look at the pirate. He felt a disconnection from this person, one he knew was a fellow human being, as if some intangible difference made them no more alike than a fish and a bird. Billy knew it was all in his head and forced himself to push it aside. As much as the pirate’s actions may have been deplorable, he was still a man and Billy refused to think otherwise. He held no love for the thieves, of course, but he did not hate them without good reason. After all, it was not as if he had ever met a good pirate. 

Billy felt his breath catch in his throat as the pirate was led up to the noose. The thick rope was tightened around his neck. Even now the pirate did not look up. He only kept his head bowed, as if hoping for some kind of mercy or in prayer. Billy didn’t know if pirates were God-fearing Christians as the rest of England was. He supposed it didn’t quite matter. 

The head of the local militia was reading out the charges, but Billy barely heard him. The pirate was looking down, yes, but not at his shoes or at the wood of the platform. The man was looking at something in his hands. 

“And may God have mercy on your soul.” The executioner waited until the man reading the charges stepped back. The drums continued to play. The crowd didn’t dare breathe.

Billy found himself watching in mute shock as the pirate swung from the gallows.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A second chapter this week! I'm about to start working more often though so don't expect every update to be this long. That being said, I'm really enjoying writing the next one… Can't wait for ya'll to read it :D

A small dingy with a tattered sail made its way across the ocean, a sole passenger scooping water out of its hull while also attempting to navigate towards shore. He was managing quite well, moving with incredible speed from one task to another, not dropping any ropes or throwing the bucket overboard. If one didn’t look carefully, it would appear as if he were in several places at once. 

But no, Tommy was just a man. An amazing, multi-talented man who happened to make a living while running from the law, but just a man nonetheless. Then again, his startling white hair did make many mistake him for a ghost on foggy English night. It made the whole stealing and running away thing much easier.

“Be a good lad and tie her up,” Tommy instructed as he reached the dock, stepping off his vessel and handing a rope to a boy in a shabby sailor’s uniform. The boy took it and stared openly as Tommy walked off. 

He knew that he was quite a distinct man. Not only was his hair unusual, but he took pride in his attire and would only wear the best of everything. That is, assuming he could afford it. As it was, his current situation quite regulated what he could afford and Tommy found himself in an old coat and breeches, a worn-out pair of leather boots, and a whole host of necklaces and charms that hung from his neck as if tempting fate to choke him. 

“Sir, we can’t allow just anyone to leave a- a-” the manager of the docks stepped in front of Tommy waving a large journal with figures and the names of ships listed carefully. The man was having a hard time explaining the situation, in part because Tommy’s “ship” was now no more than the top of a mast peeking up above the waterline. The rest had sunk. 

“Well then, I suppose it’s very good I’m not just anyone, mate,” Tommy replied without a care in the world. He tilted his large hat at the other man and started to move along.

“Sir, I need your name and the name of your… ship, if you insist on staying,” the manager continued, clearly baffled. Tommy sighed and spun on his heel to face the other man. 

“What’s your name, mate?” Tommy asked, leaning in close. The other man backed away, but there wasn’t much space on the pier. 

“I d-don’t understand how that’s r-relevant,” the man managed to stutter. Tommy, for his part, managed to hold back the urge to push the man into the ocean. 

“All right, Johnny,” the pirate continued, giving the manager a name since he clearly wasn’t going to answer, “how about this. I give you… ten pieces of gold. And you don’t need my name or the name of my ship.” Tommy mentally counted how much gold he actually had. Less than ten pieces, he realized, but that hardly mattered. 

“I am afraid that I cannot do that, sir. The rules are quite clear--” Tommy snorted.

“Oh bugger the rules, Johnny mate. Can’t you bend them a little for a special man?” Johnny’s frown grew and he opened his mouth to reply right as Tommy spotted a group of redcoats turning down the pier. _Damn them,_ Tommy thought. “On second thought, you get no gold and no name but you can keep the ship. Good day!” With that, Tommy adopted a leisurely pace down the pier.

He almost made it off and onto proper dry land, where he could safely blend into the crowd (after covering his hair a bit more) and be on his way. Unfortunately the manager was no fool and he shouted to get the attention of the soldiers. _Time to run,_ Tommy thought as he broke into a run. 

“Stop, sir, in the name of the King!” One of the redcoats shouted. Tommy decided that it was a much more brilliant idea to keep running, even going as far as to overturn a crate of who-knows-what onto the street as he passed it. The resulting mess was just enough to give him some space to dash into the crowded streets. What could he say, he could come up with quite a few impressive plans when was forced to.

Tommy adjusted his hat and pulled up a bandana that covered the lower part of his face. It was early in the day and nobody really paid any attention to him-- everyone was far too concerned with their own business to give a second look to the strange man who walked among them. Even better, with a quick shifting of his coat his cutlass and pistol, which hung from his belt in an almost careless fashion, were hidden from view. 

“Did you hear that there was a hanging this morning? Another blasted pirate got a bit too big and thought he could fight the Navy,” a servant chatted to another as the pair walked by. Tommy clicked his tongue in disdain. He was a pirate, yes, and he held a small amount of sympathy for his compatriots who were unlucky enough to get caught. On the other hand, he was rather glad that he was still alive and well and _not caught._

“Apparently he took minutes to die too-- it’s a pity I couldn’t go. I had to buy these things for Mrs. Kaplan,” the second servant complained, holding up a rather impressive collection of colored ribbon. “You know her-- she’s so determined that her son be married by the end of the season...” the conversation drifted out of hearing range, though it wasn’t very interesting to Tommy.

“Out of our way!” Now that was something he could bother to care about, mostly because the redcoats were trying to hunt him down. Even if the dockmaster hadn’t immediately recognized Tommy as a pirate, there was no doubt that whoever was in charge of the port would.

Ducking down an alley, Tommy pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment and read over his instructions once more. The picture was a mere assumption, as the artist hadn’t the faintest clue what her subject looked like, but it was fairly detailed despite that. The sharp nose, the pointed eyebrows, and the crooked smile-- if not for the darker hair, Tommy would have considered it a self-portrait and kept it regardless of his orders. 

Instead he folded the parchment in half and ripped it to shreds, discarding them before moving along. He had someone to find and only a short amount of time to do so. It would be a huge pity for him to be apprehended before he could find this William Maximoff after all. 

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Billy and Kate were walking along the fort’s veranda, chatting amicably while they waited for the crowd to disperse. Many had left after the hanging, but neither were overly eager to leave for home now that they had struck up a tentative friendship. True, their conversations were far from personal and focused more on the political, but it was better than the stoney silence of their previous meetings.

“Have you ever been to the colonies?” Billy asked as the subject drew to colonialism in the Americas. Kate shook her head.

“The closest I have been is the Caribbean, but it has not been recent. My family prefers to take trips to the countryside or the continent, no further.” Kate shrugged. “With my father’s entrepreneurship, it can make any vacations difficult.” Billy nodded in sympathy. 

“My mother believes that if I travel on ship it will bring back difficult memories, but for the life of me I can’t imagine that occurring. I would like to visit elsewhere before I must settle down.” Billy tensed, realizing what he had said. Kate laughed and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Billy, it is all right. I understand. Perhaps we could vacation to the Americas before buying an estate? It would not be too irregular,” she suggested. Billy nodded, this time with a small smile on his face.

“That would be nice, yes.” He couldn’t help but think that Teddy might enjoy it too, being able to get away from work… If the blonde was able to, of course. “Has Clint always been your bodyguard or is that only because of me?” Billy found himself asking. If Kate found offense, she didn’t show it.

“I have been under his care for as long as I can remember. My father owned his family a favor, and when Clint returned from the army…” Kate shrugged. “I don’t know the details, but no, it’s not just because of you.” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I can most certainly protect myself, if that is what you are concerned about.” Billy held up his hands in a show of innocence.

“I told you once, Kate, I have no illusions about your abilities or lack thereof.” The conversation may have continued on, if not for the sudden appearance of Clint. He strode forward, not quite running but still intent on reaching the couple as soon as possible.

Kate, unsurprisingly, noticed the familiar figure before Billy did. She stepped away from her almost-fiancè and talked to him in such a low voice that Billy, despite being a mere few feet away, could not hear any of their conversation. After a minute or two had passed, Kate returned to Billy’s side. 

“Clint has heard that there is a pirate roaming around the port and believes that we should return to the manor for our own safety.” She spoke calmly, as if she was discussing the weather. Billy nodded and held his arm for her. Kate took it and allowed herself to be led down the stairs to the carriage. 

“Are the authorities attempting to apprehend the pirate?” Billy asked Clint as the man brought them to the carriage. The blonde nodded and opened the door, Kate entering first. Billy was about to follow when he realized something. “Was the pirate armed?” When Clint didn’t answer, Billy found his temper shortening. “ _Was the man armed?_ ” He repeated. 

Clint, to Billy’s annoyance, turned to Kate and did something with his hands. Kate nodded and replied in a similar fashion, her gloved fingers moving with surprising agility. 

“He doesn’t know, but he suggests that we leave before we can find out.” Billy thought of the best way to explain that his best friend, who also happened to be his servant, was also an apprentice at the blacksmith’s and would no doubt be in danger if the pirate found him and demanded weapons or some other form of aid. Instead, Billy pulled away from the carriage and shook his head.

“Clint, take Kate back to the manor. I have something to attend to.” Kate frowned.

“Billy, you cannot go off now. If somehow the pirate finds you and knows who you are…” She trailed off and Billy couldn’t fault her. If a single pirate was wandering around the port, he had to be on some kind of an errand. And that could range from killing someone of importance to stealing documents of some kind. But Billy couldn’t leave without knowing that Teddy was safe, and there was only one way of doing that.

“I will be fine, Kate. I know how to protect myself,” Billy replied, though the last time he had used a sword had been months ago. Without waiting for a reply, Billy half-pushed Clint into the carriage and closed the door. “Keep her safe, sir.” Clint nodded and Billy motioned for the driver to leave. After a moment of hesitation, the carriage took off into the crowd, disappearing with surprising speed.

Billy didn’t hesitate; he strode away, moving with as much haste as his clothing would allow, no care for his dignity. He only hoped that he would reach Teddy before someone else did.


	4. Chapter 4

Teddy grunted as he hit the hot metal, sparks flying, beads of sweat dropping down his forehead. He turned the horseshoe and pounded it once, twice for good measure, before dumping it in water. The steam clouded Teddy’s vision for a moment before clearing away and leaving him with a well-made horseshoe. 

The blacksmith’s wasn’t solely responsible for such items, of course; Teddy had made (and practiced with) his fair share of swords. But it was much more common for a merchant or even the occasional farmer to come needing horseshoes, belt buckles, or whatever might be made out of metal for a small fee. Teddy enjoyed his apprenticeship as much as he could. It was certainly harder than being Billy’s personal servant and it had the downside of not letting him see Billy as much.

Because, well, they were close friends. As close as servant and master could be of course. Which Teddy was more than accustomed to. It would be a waste of his time to wish for anymore so he didn’t bother. He had long since learned that wishes didn’t come true. 

“I’m going to the market; Mr. Berkley wants me to fix some carriage wheels for him and I told him I’d go take a look,” Teddy’s master barked at the blonde. The older man never spoke; he barked, hollered, shouted, and grunted. Teddy didn’t mind. The blunt manner of speaking was a welcome relief from the tip-toeing he felt he had to do around Billy and others in that class.

“Yessir.” With a final look at his apprentice, Teddy’s master left, slamming the door to the workshop behind him. Teddy was, surprisingly, the only apprentice under the man’s tutelage, most likely because anyone else went into a more profitable and highly regarded career or couldn’t afford what it cost. Unlike many, Teddy was situated in the awkward position between manservant and more skilled labor, almost on the cusp of gentlemenhood thanks to his connections, but without any family of his own due to a bout of sickness that had taken his mother (Teddy had never known his father).

The blonde sighed and went back to work when, not a minute past, the door flew open with such force that Teddy was certain his master was back to yell some order or reminder at him. When Teddy turned and saw a stranger, his muscles tensed. Teddy forced himself to relax. He had seen odder, and it was possible the man was just lost and required assistance. 

“Hello, good sir. I’m afraid that I have gotten myself a bit lost.” Teddy relaxed further, lowering the hammer he had raised on instinct. The stranger took his hat off and gave Teddy a shallow bow, though a bandana still covered the lower part of his face. His hair, Teddy noticed with a start, was pure white like untainted snow. The look in his eyes, however, was much darker. 

“Where can I direct you to, sir?” Teddy asked, deciding to stay formal and distant. The stranger didn’t introduce himself further and Teddy found no need to divulge such information. 

“I’m looking for the Maximoff house. Do you know where that is?” Teddy raised an eyebrow.

“Can’t say that I do.” There was a shout outside of the workshop and both men froze. Teddy realized the stranger reached for his hip and realized, with a chill, that there was a flintlock pistol and a cutlass hanging there. The stranger gave Teddy a hesitant smile. “Why are you looking for the Maximoffs?” Teddy asked, though he knew no one by that name. 

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.” There was more shouting outside and the white-haired man frowned. “It sounds like I best be on my way. Pleasure meeting you.” He turned to leave as the door opened once more, this time letting a more familiar face in. 

Teddy felt a mixture of relief and fear as Billy walked in, wearing the same clothes as before. He was sweating heavily and even panting, which was understandable. Teddy wouldn’t have wanted to walk around the busy streets in the numerous layers. Which was why Billy had left with a carriage to bring him to Miss Bishop’s. _Where is the carriage?_ Teddy wondered.

“Oh.” The stranger stared at Billy for an uncomfortable amount of time, Billy stock-still and more tense than the time his father was threatening to send him to boarding school after he put an angry goose in the kitchen. _“Oh.”_ The stranger extended a hand for Billy to shake. “You must be Mr. Maximoff. I’m, well, you can call me Tommy.” Billy didn’t shake his hand.

“You’re the pirate that’s running around the port, aren’t you?” The gentleman asked. Teddy took a look at Billy and then at Tommy (if that was even the man’s real name). And it really did make sense, but if Tommy was a pirate--

“Billy, get away from him!” Teddy shouted, stepping forward and hefting the hammer like it was a child’s toy. Tommy glanced back and gave the blonde and exasperated look. Billy, funnily enough, had a similar expression on his face.

“I’m not going to harm anyone, I just need to give Mr. Maximoff-- Billy-- a message.” Tommy looked back at Billy, crossing his arms. “If you are him. William, right? Also, I dislike the term pirate. It’s technically true, but the title “professional wanderer” just sounds more… polite.” The pirate smiled at Billy, who just scowled. 

“I don’t want to hear a message from a pirate,” the gentleman shot back. Tommy sighed and shook his head. 

“Professional wanderer, please.” Neither Billy nor Teddy were about to call him anything other than a pirate. “Now then, for your message,” Tommy continued without a care in the world. Teddy and Billy exchanged a look and Billy noded. Without any hesitation, Teddy slammed his hammer into Tommy’s head. The pirate fell to the ground like a stone.

“Are you ok?” Teddy asked unnecessarily. Billy gave him another look and the blonde shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure. Where’s Miss Bishop?” Teddy asked, stepping forward and picking up the pirate like a sack of potatoes; in Teddy’s opinion the sack of potatoes smelled better. 

“I sent her back to her home for safety. I can return to her as soon as this pirate is in custody.” With that in mind, Billy opened the door to the blacksmith and yelled at someone to summon the proper authorities. Teddy, meanwhile, found some spare rope and tied up Tommy without care for comfort. 

The militia, understandably, was a bit concerned at first but after ensuring that the pirate was alive decided they did not care anymore. Their leader, a tall blonde captain, nodded his approval to Teddy.

“You did well, sir; ever thought of joining the army?” Teddy politely declined. If the man noticed the glance at Billy or the faint coloring of Teddy’s cheeks, he didn’t say anything. The captain was a good man, Teddy decided as he walked back to the mansion. The master blacksmith had decided to release him early, in part because there was little left to do and in part because Teddy had knocked “that damn pirate to next year.” 

That was how Teddy found himself back at the mansion when Billy walked in, looking tired and glad to see a friendly face. A few moments and commands later and the two young men were sitting in Billy’s chambers, eating the food the servants had prepared. Teddy knew he wasn’t really that much higher in social standing than, say, the butler. He just was better friends with the young master. 

“Today was rather eventful,” Teddy said as he sat across from Billy. The two were on the bed, plates of crackers, cheese, and bits of cut ham between the two of them. Mrs. Kaplan would have a fainting spell if she saw them, but she never stayed awake past eighteen hundred. 

“That’s certainly one way of putting it.” Billy smiled at his friend. “I’m glad you were safe. I… I don’t want to think what the pirate would have done to you.” Teddy shrugged and made a face, trying not to stuff himself full of food. “You can eat more. I thought you might be hungry after a day of vicious pirate-fighting and man-saving.” Teddy held back a laugh.

“Man-saving?” He asked. Billy shrugged.

“I’m not a damsel in distress but I suppose we could say you saved me. It sounds much better than “mercilessly beat a pirate over the head with a hammer” after all.” Teddy thought about it before agreeing, though he did contest the usage of “mercilessly.” Billy shrugged again. “Semantics are for lawyers.” Teddy supposed he had a point. 

“Considering you’re almost a married man, Billy,” Teddy started, “you should spend less time running after others. Particularly other men.” Billy snorted.

“Even if they’re my best man?” Teddy blinked and forgot how to chew his food. A too-long moment later, he swallowed. 

“Are you being serious?” Billy’s face betrayed no hint of jest, but Teddy knew better than to assume things when it came to the gentleman. 

“Completely.” The black haired young man shifted on the bed and Teddy realized that they had been leaning closer and closer together. Now that Billy was farther away, Teddy felt a tug in his chest but made no move to fix it. “You’re my best… my only friend, Teddy. There’s no one I would rather have there by my side.” Teddy swallowed and nodded.

“That... “ He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Billy was always better with words; it wasn’t like Teddy needed to have as eloquent speech as the gentleman and at least Teddy didn’t sound like one of the dock laborers. Fortunately, Billy didn’t mind.

“You mean more to me than any other, Teddy.” Billy sighed. “More than my to-be wife, if I may be frank.” His blonde friend gave him a warm smile.

“You can always speak the truth with me, Billy.” There was a pause in the conversation, neither quite knowing what to say. Teddy knew what he wanted Billy to say, what he wanted to hear, but knew it would never happen. And Teddy wasn’t selfish enough to say what he had in mind. Selfish or stupid to be honest; both were accurate adjectives. 

Regardless, Teddy wasn’t selfish or stupid enough to tell Billy what he wanted. Criminality of sodomy aside, the gentleman would only have to withdraw his friendship and Teddy’s life would be ruined. Not only would his reputation be damaged but, well, Teddy couldn’t imagine a life without Billy. Something about growing up together did that.

“I know that you may consider this improper,” Billy started. He wasn’t looking at the blonde, focusing his eyes on their food instead, his hands at his sides in forced stillness. Teddy couldn’t read his expression which was frightening and foreign. “I have to say this,” Billy continued, though at this stage it was unclear if he was speaking to himself or Teddy.

Reaching a hand out, Teddy smiled warmly at his friend. Billy grasped Teddy’s hand more out of instinct than anything else, but it was still comforting to both of them. The gentleman let out a shaky breath. 

“Teddy, I--” The blonde leaned forward until millimeters seemed to separate their faces. Billy was drawn back to childhood memories, playing games and fooling around until they collapsed against one another. Back then it was so much simpler. There was no fear of being caught, of being punished. But, of course, they were only friends. 

Their lips brushed together and Billy repressed the urge to run his tongue along Teddy’s mouth, not knowing that Teddy was feeling the same way.

An explosion went off, followed by several more. Screams rose into the air. Billy and Teddy broke apart. Both stood, the blonde grabbing his boots from beside the bed and pulling them on with haste. The mansion wasn’t too far from the docks and Billy could make out an unmarked ship firing at the port town. He looked at Teddy. The blonde looked rather handsome in the dim lighting, lips pursed and brows furrowed in concentration and concern. 

“Billy! Teddy!” It was Mrs. Kaplan. Even she couldn’t sleep through a bombardment of the port. The three half-met, half-collided in the hallway. “Are you both all right?” If she thought anything was off about the two, she attributed it to the fact that their town was under attack.

“We need to leave,” Billy told her. “I saw a ship through my window; it must be pirates.” His mother paled in fear and pulled him close, as if he were a child and not a young man about to be married off. 

“Mrs. Kaplan, I’ll have the carriage prepared for you and your family.” Teddy hesitated, gaze lingering on Billy, before he went to do his task. Billy forced away thoughts that this would be the last time he saw the blonde. 

The Kaplans met in the front hall, servants running around in madness. One reported that pirates were invading the port, looting buildings and killing anyone they felt. Billy wasn’t sure how much credit to give such rumors, but they certainly had his mother worried. 

“We’ll travel to the next town over and return when things quiet down,” Billy’s father was saying to the butler. Nearby, his mother was trying to keep control of his twin brothers. They seemed to believe that they could go and fight the pirates rather than staying in the mansion. “The carriage only has room for the four of us and a few belongings, so pack lightly.” Billy looked at his father.

“We can’t bring the servants?” He asked. His father took it as a statement and nodded. “But what if the mansion is attacked?” Billy asked, thinking of Teddy standing guard with a sword and a single pistol. And, knowing the blonde, he would do just that. 

“They’ll manage.” Billy’s father turned away, once again talking to Billy’s mother. “Hurry and pack.” Another explosion rocked the town. They were still coming at regular intervals; apparently the captain of the ship had no fear of hitting his own men. _Either that,_ Billy thought, _or he doesn’t care._

(*)(*)(*)(*)

The deck of The Nidhogg was beautiful in the moonlight, the beams breaking through the cloud cover every few yards and splattering the wood with an almost ghostly pattern. The crew moved like clockwork. They cleaned, loaded, and fired the guns with hardly a word exchanged. Half the crew had landed on shore in boats and given free rein to plunder and kill as they felt. The second in command watched, pleased. 

The captain stepped into the port town’s jail, boots making no noise on the cobblestone floor, long green coat flowing behind him, elaborate gold chains hanging on his neck. He had no escort; he hardly needed one with the local militia so concerned with other things. Besides, the person he wanted to see was conveniently locked up and wouldn’t be going anywhere. 

“Come to finish what you started?” The man behind bars asked, hair as white as the moon that illuminated the room. “Not very noble of you, is it, to kill a man who can’t escape,” Tommy continued. He hadn’t a care in the world. If he was going to die he’d at least die with grace.

“If I wanted you dead, Tommy, I would have killed you when you tried to take my ship. Instead I marooned you on that desert island.” Tommy shrugged.

“I always thought that you just couldn’t stomach the idea of a life without me in it, Loki.” The captain scowled and narrowed his eyes at Tommy. Loki looked tempted to break into the cell just to kill Tommy, but something stopped him.

“Soon I will have just that.” He turned away and adjusted his coat. “You know, traitor, I should be thanking you. After all, who knows how long it would have taken me to find the Maximoff child without you?” 

“You never were any good without me. I haven’t the faintest idea how the ship is still sailing without my steady hands,” Tommy replied, sarcasm heavy. Loki made no move to reply and Tommy decided to continue. “We all know that you were never the best of your family, after all. That was always Thor.” Tommy figured he couldn’t get much more doomed than being prisoner in a port under attack by his former captain. So a few taunts couldn’t hurt. 

“Thor will be nothing once I’m done!” Loki shouted, launching himself at the bars and reaching for Tommy’s neck. His hand and forearm, bathed in moonlight, were nothing more than bones and husks of clothes. Tommy forced himself to breathe; the skeletal fingers were centimeters away from his throat. 

“So that’s what a curse looks like.” Loki huffed and stepped back, careful to stay away from any of the moonbeams. Without the silver lighting, he looked like a normal man. Long black hair was pulled back behind his ears, sharp green eyes examined every twitch Tommy made, and thin lips were pulled back in a snarl. 

“Be glad I have more important matters to attend to than your existence.” Loki turned and started to walk away. “Say hello to Death to me! I’m certain you’ll be seeing him before I will.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm lame and this chapter is both short and late. Apologies.

Teddy was having a good day. Granted, he encountered a mysterious pirate with silver hair who apparently had some important message to give to Billy, but that wasn’t too hard to manage. Besides that, though, the blonde thought it would just be another normal night. And then he kissed Billy. And then their town got attacked by pirates. And then Billy’s family left, though at the very least they’d be safe. Teddy was glad that Billy would survive. 

Now it was only a question of whether Teddy could manage to not get stabbed or shot until the attack was over. 

He fled up the flight of stairs after ensuring that the few remaining servants were safely on their way out. The blonde had no intention of leaving the mansion, even though he knew it would be a target. Unlike the other servants, he had no family in the area to take care of. None except for the Kaplans, and they had left him without a second thought. 

He was just about to store the more obvious valuables in the safe when the front door was burst down. Well that’s not very polite, Teddy couldn’t help but think as he ran for safety instead, a few gold necklaces dangling from his hands. He wondered if it was the militia come to see if the Kaplans were safe, but a loud order to search for anything worth a coin destroyed that hope. 

Teddy hid in the first place that came to mind, Billy’s room. He closed the door with unnecessary force, but if any of the pirates heard they said nothing. Teddy found himself breathing heavily, though he was unsure if it was due to anxiety or another factor. Fear? That would be it. Teddy wasn’t used to fear coursing through his veins, making him wonder if he would make it out alive. It was an alien feeling and one he could do without.

“Check upstairs!” A hoarse voice shouted, and Teddy realized that he would need a better place to hide. He wouldn’t fit under the bed-- he hadn’t since he and Billy were small children. It was that or the wardrobe, and Teddy slipped between the oak doors right as the pirates entered the room. 

The group of pirates were what Teddy expected them to look like-- mean, dirty, and overall not the kind of people you’d want in your house at night. They took a quick look around the room and Teddy sent up a silent thanks that Billy didn’t keep anything too precious in his room. Still, the pirates flipped over the bed and took a few pieces of silk. None, however, seemed to be inclined to search the wardrobe. 

In fact, Teddy was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when another pirate entered the room.

He was immediately marked as different by his dark skin. The pirate had to be an escaped slave or freeman, Teddy reasoned. He was not the tallest or muscular of the pirates, but he held himself in a way that demanded respect. Unlike the other pirates, who had long ragged hair, the former slave had a shaved head. 

“I sense something,” he muttered, soft words carrying to Teddy’s ears. The blonde felt his blood run cold. Could he fight off the pirates? Would he even have a chance? 

His decision was made for him when the pirate spun on his heel and threw open the wardrobe doors. Teddy tackled him and felt the air leave him-- the pirate reacted with uncanny speed and elbowed him in the stomach. Coughing on the ground, Teddy wondered if this was the end. He saw the group of pirates out of the corner of his eyes; they were all armed and he had nothing. 

“Bastard,” one of the pirates spat. He stepped forward and lifted his cutlass in the air. Teddy closed his eyes, hoping it would be quick. 

“Stop.” It was the African. Teddy recognized his voice, a soft accent marking his words. The blonde opened his eyes as a cold blade tilted his head up. The African’s sword was not the usual cutlass Teddy knew sailors used. Instead it was a simple straight blade, both edges sharp. “Where did you get this?” Teddy realized the African was talking about his necklace.

It was a stupid thing, really. When Teddy had, more or less, saved Billy by spotting him in the wreckage, the blonde had also taken a necklace off of the gentleman. It was a simple bronze pendant with a stylized “M” on one side. Billy had never wanted it back, even when Teddy offered, and the blonde had fallen into a pattern of wearing it. For some reason the necklace made him feel closer to Billy. 

“It’s mine,” Teddy answered. The African was silent for a moment before he turned away. 

“Bring him.” It took Teddy a moment to realize what he meant, but in that moment the other pirates had already circled him and any chance for escape was gone. “Our Captain is going to be very pleased to meet you, Mr. Maximoff.” 

_Oh no._

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Katherine Bishop wasn’t known for her patience or sparkling politeness, but she did have a sensible about of tact and she knew better than to say anything while her eventual husband paced the room. Billy’s hands were frozen at his sides, eyes narrow, mouth a thin line. It was strange how he had changed so much, Kate decided, but not surprising. 

The pirate attack had left the entire port shaken, the death toll almost a hundred and countless buildings damaged or destroyed in the fighting. Kate knew she was lucky. Her father had decided to stay and defend the mansion, partly because he was ex-Navy and so were half the male help. Their home had barely been touched. 

The Kaplan’s home had been burned beyond recognition, though, through a miracle, nobody was killed in the fire. All the servants were accounted for except one, Billy’s personal servant. And, true to what Kate could tell of Billy’s personality, the gentleman was taking it far too harshly. 

“Billy…” Kate trailed off, unsure of what to say. The two were certainly closer than they had been, but they were hardly friends. She hadn’t even met the servant in question. “He may be alive,” Kate suggested. She was not unsympathetic to his plight; Clint was a good friend and loyal servant and Kate couldn’t imagine a life without him. No doubt Billy was as close to his servant as she was to Clint. 

The two fell into an uneasy silence, the only noise in the drawing room the sound of Billy’s steps. Clint was his usual silent guardian, watching the two and being invisible in plain sight. Kate knew that her parents and the Kaplans were discussing the marriage, which was now questionable. The Kaplans had money in the bank and a little capital, but the Bishops were now in control of any negotiations. 

Then something changed. Billy’s head shot up, his eyes went wide, and his posture straightened. Kate watched him uneasily. _What is going through your head?_ She wondered.

“I need to see someone.” Billy started to leave the room and Kate stood.

“With all respect, Billy, you aren’t going anywhere alone,” she told him. He looked at her like she was crazy before sighing and nodding. 

“It’s probably for the best,” he admitted with a frown. Then he gave her a mischievous smile. “So, Kate, how do you feel about visiting a prison?” For her credit, Kate managed to hide her surprise and smiled back. 

“I can’t say that it’s crossed my mind, but I have always enjoyed new experiences.” Clint sighed and followed the two out of the room. He knew better than to try to stop them. 

The other servants, however, were not as intelligent. After some quick thinking and explanations (it was completely understandable that the couple wanted some air and what could go wrong with a good chaperon like Clint?) though, the two were off in the carriage.

“Why are we visiting the prison?” Kate asked once they were on their way. Billy hesitated but explained what had happened before the pirate attack, not sparing any details. “Maximoff? Clint, have you heard of that name?” The blonde servant shook his head. 

“It cannot be a coincidence that a pirate comes searching for a Maximoff-- for me apparently-- and then a whole ship of pirates attacks.” Billy frowned. “It isn’t much of a lead, I admit, but it is the only one I can think of.” Kate nodded. She didn’t believe in chance; things happened for a reason, good or not, and pirates were no exception.

“Do you think they took the pirate? The other pirates I mean. If they were working together, wouldn’t they take their man back?” Kate asked, realizing a hole in Billy’s plan. Well, one of many, but she focused on the larger problems first. Billy’s frown deepened; he hadn’t thought of that. “It is unlikely, but… I do not want your hopes to be raised.” Billy nodded and looked out the window. He didn’t reply for a moment.

“We’ll see.” He didn’t say anything else until they got to the prison. 

It wasn’t much of a prison, honestly, just a few cells with some lazy guards that Kate quickly talked past. She was a bit surprised at the lax security, but supposed that the majority of the militia was busy rebuilding and trying to keep the general populace under control. 

As they entered the hall with the cells, Billy’s demeanor changed once more. He seemed to grow taller, more confident, his strides longer and his mouth a thin scowl. Kate followed behind with Clint taking up the rear of their bizarre group. It wasn’t hard to tell which cell had the pirate-- silver hair or no, only one cell was occupied.

“Where is he?” Billy snarled with surprising ferocity. The pirate stared at the strange group in front of him. Neither Billy nor Kate were wearing anything close to the formal clothes they had on the past day. Meanwhile, Clint was still in his uniform. “Where did they take Teddy?” Tommy held his hands up in a show of surrender.

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, Billy.” Kate was inclined to believe him. It appeared that Billy did not have that same gut feeling. Either that or he was ignoring it.

“The blonde from yesterday, the one you talked to at the blacksmith’s, he was taken by the pirates,” Billy said, impatience highlighting his voice. Tommy nodded and sighed.

“Should have listened to what I had to say.” Billy stepped close to the bars, mouth a thin line. 

“Maybe you should listen to what I have to say, pirate.” Billy motioned to the stone walls that surrounded them. “This prison, you won’t escape. You will be hung tomorrow, next week, next month-- but most likely tomorrow because the people will want blood for what happened last night. Or you can help me find Teddy.” Billy crossed his arms. “Your decision.” The pirate looked at them suspiciously.

“You would let me go free in exchange for finding your servant?” Billy nodded. Tommy grinned. “You have a deal.” The silver-haired man stood and extended a hand. Billy didn’t take it. “Fine.” Tommy withdrew it before motioning at Kate and Clint. “What about them?” Billy looked back at her. The expression on his face was guilty.

“We are coming too,” Kate decided. 

“No,” Billy and Tommy both replied. Kate crossed her arms and Clint mentally sighed. 

“You are not prepared for something like this,” Tommy insisted. “These pirates will not take pity on you just because you are a lady. They will do unspeakable things to you at the first chance.” Billy looked like he wanted to say something but he just nodded and waved a hand at the pirate.

“I hate to say this, but I agree with the pirate.”

“Professional wander-”

“I can ensure my own safety,” Kate interrupted. “And Clint has been at sea before. I also will draw your attention to the lack of experience that Billy has.” Tommy nodded; the same realization had come to him as well.

“The difference is that I know how to use a sword,” Billy argued. This conversation continued for several moments before Kate realized something. 

“I can get us a boat.” Tommy groaned and Billy raised an eyebrow. Both Kate and Billy ignored Tommy going on a rant about how “boat” made it sound like some kind of child’s toy. “My father is a well-known merchant. All I need is a letter and we’ll have access to any boat we want.” 

“It’s a ship, a vessel of the sea, something--”

“You think it will be that simple?” Billy questioned. Kate shrugged. 

“How difficult could it be?” Four hours, a few more arguments, pretending that Tommy was a nun in order to hide his hair, and an impromptu duel of wits between Kate and a poor dock master was all it took. 

Billy found himself tuning out the rest of the world as Kate and Tommy argued over who should be in command of the ship. The gentleman found he couldn’t care less; all that was important was that he was on his way to Teddy.

 _I’m coming for you, Teddy. And if it kills me I_ will _find you._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy fourth of July to those who celebrate!

Teddy didn’t know if they were going to kill him or ransom him. Either way he was doomed; though Billy had a great amount of affection for him (if the kiss hadn’t terrified him) the Kaplans would be hard pressed for any great sum of money after their estate had been burned to the ground. Teddy hadn’t been forced to watch but he did regardless, and every flame ate away at his heart as surely as it ate away at the wood. 

For a group of pirate kidnappers, though, Teddy found himself reasonably comfortable. His room (if that’s what it could be called) was smaller than he was used to, hardly more than a broom closet, but it had a bed and a small window to let air in. If it weren’t for the locked door he would have felt as if he was a guest of some kind. As it was, he was a guest, just an involuntary one. 

He didn’t meet the captain of the vessel (the Nidhogg, if Teddy remembered correctly, though the paint was peeling and the patchy moonlight hardly the best conditions to view such details) until several days had already passed. It wasn’t that Teddy particularly cared to meet the man who was putting him through this hell, it just gave him a real person to dislike.

Captain Loki, oddly enough, was young enough to be Teddy’s age. The pirate had the physical youth, yes, but there was a depth in his eyes. It sent a shiver down Teddy’s spine the moment he saw the captain’s gaze, though the blonde would have denied it. Loki either didn’t notice or didn’t care as he stood in the doorway. 

“Enjoying your stay, Mr. Maximoff?” He asked. Teddy took a moment to remember that he was supposed to be this mysterious Maximoff. He still didn’t know why that family was so important, not to mention why so many people seemed convinced that Billy was part of the line, but he knew better than to say anything.

“Not really. I don’t care for being kidnapped and held at the mercy of pirates.” Loki shrugged; it wasn’t like he had expected anything less. 

“I’m afraid you’ll be with us for quite some time, though if you behave I’ll let you walk around deck.” Loki gave Teddy a small smile that held no warmth. “With proper supervision of course.” There was no reply and Loki continued after a short pause. “I only need you for a short time, of course. Then you can be on your merry way.” 

“You mean you’ll kill me.” Loki adopted a hurt look. He was a fantastic actor, as Teddy had no doubt that he couldn’t care less about Teddy’s opinion of him. 

“I only harm those who stand in my way, Mr. Maximoff. No, I fully intend on letting you go. Continue to live you life.” Loki paused and contemplated his words for a moment. “Whatever your life consists of anymore, at any rate.” Teddy held back a scowl.

“Yes, well, you did burn down my house,” he pointed out. The pirate didn’t seem offended by the implications and just shrugged. 

“It happens,” was all he said. The two remained in silence for several moments, but this time Teddy was the one who broke it.

“What do you want me for anyway? I’m not worth the trouble for a ransom,” he admitted. Loki snorted and waved a hand. The two guards (which had surprised Teddy because, really, they needed two people to watch over him?) at the door left. The door to the cabin closed and Teddy found himself pressed for space. 

Though Loki was undoubtedly shorter than him, the fact that Teddy was sitting and the look in the captain’s eyes created the illusion that Loki was, indeed, taller. It was intimidating, Teddy admitted to himself, to be looked at like he was no more than an annoyance. An important annoyance, but still something that Loki wished he could live without. Despite his strange upbringing, and his mother’s death in his early years, Teddy had never felt unwanted. The Kaplans were a wonderful family, Billy especially, and the only distinction was in public. Even then it was all recent developments; something about Billy’s impending marriage changed the household dynamics. 

Not that Teddy should have been surprised. Eventually Billy was going to grow up and move on. It was entirely reasonable to assume that the blonde would as well.

“Do you believe in magic, Mr. Maximoff?” Loki asked, entirely serious. Teddy stared at him and the captain sighed. “Foolish question, I suppose, but humor me for a moment.” Teddy had no intention of doing so but he didn’t bother to say anything. It wasn’t like he could prevent the pirate from speaking, after all. “Imagine that a few foolish pirates hear rumors of a family with magic in the veins. And, well, those pirates did a… a foolish thing and now they need someone’s help.” Loki gave Teddy a smile that’s all teeth. “We need your help.”

“I don’t trust you.” It’s not so much a reply as a statement. Loki shrugged.

“That’s a good idea, generally, not to trust pirates. But in this case you can. All you have to do is not cause too much trouble and, before you know it, you’ll be free to go.” This time, Loki looked at him with a serious expression and it’s almost more terrifying than anything before, because Teddy can’t tell what it means. “Does that some amicable to you, Mr. Maximoff?” Teddy does scowl this time, unable to hold it back.

“Don’t call me that,” he said out of some instinct that was not self-preservation. Loki raised an eyebrow. 

“What would you prefer me to call you then?” Teddy hesitated, unsure if he could come up with a plausible excuse for being called something other than William, before deciding that maybe faking his identity wouldn’t be amiss.

“Billy. Call me Billy.” Loki hesitated before he nodded. “And I’m hungry. Shouldn’t you know that it’s poor form to leave your kidnap victim hungry while he’s still in your care?” Teddy doesn’t really know where the snark comes from, he just rolls with it. Loki grinned and opened the door. 

“Incidentally, I was just thinking the same thing. And, after all, it is about time for an afternoon meal.” Loki motioned to someone Teddy can’t see. “This is David. He is in charge of… keeping an eye on you.” David was the same African who had taken Teddy prisoner. He wasn’t very enthusiastic about being led around by the man, but Teddy supposed it could be worse. “Enjoy your stay, Billy.” 

Teddy had no doubt that he would not enjoy his stay.

(*)(*)(*)(*)

“We need a crew.” It was not a question nor a comment, rather it was an observation. One Billy was inclined to agree with, given that their current crew consisted of three people. No, it wasn’t that he doubted Kate’s ability or willingness to learn how to help run a ship, but he did question whether she could do so in her dress. Tommy simply shrugged and adjusted their heading.

“I agree with Kate, pirate,” Billy spoke up. If the pirate heard, he ignored the gentleman in favor of pulling out a telescope and examining the horizon. “I don’t care how talented you say you are, three people cannot run something this large.” He held his hands up and quickly explained his reasoning to Kate. The woman seemed appeased by his reasoning and didn’t push him further. 

“We have enough supplies,” Kate said instead. Upon acquiring the vessel, an impressive ship with twenty guns on each side which somehow Kate had talked her way into getting, the woman had examined every nook and cranny. Clint followed behind, taking silent tally of what they did and did not have. “Not for anything too long, mind you, but enough to get us to another port where we won’t be so… obvious.” Tommy put his telescope down and collapsed it so it would fit into his long coat.

“First, Billy, I have a name. If you would be so kind as to use it, that will do wonders for my cooperation.” It was a mostly empty threat, but Billy supposed he could be more polite. Even if the man still insisted on covering the entire bottom half of his face with a ridiculous cloth. “Second, believe it or not I do have connections in a port which we are on our way to,” Tommy said, emphasizing the last part for Kate’s benefit. “And once we arrive then we will have the finest crew this side of the Atlantic.” 

“And when will we get there?” Billy asked. Though he was loathe to spend any time away from his mission of rescuing Teddy, he knew that he could be waiting for days while their ship made its way to the port and, after, it could be many more days until they got a crew. But it was better to spend time getting ready than to be ill prepared, Billy knew.

“Oh just a few days.” What Tommy failed to mention, however, was who exactly the crew would be. At first glance, Billy had to admit that he wasn’t very impressed. It wasn’t that they didn’t look like people who could sail ships and swab decks or whatnot; it was that they all seemed to have no respect for anyone’s authority, least of all Tommy’s.

“What did you call us for, chico?” One, a tall woman with a cold smile asked. She wore breeches and a man’s overcoat, bushy brown hair kept back with a thick piece of cloth. “Speak fast and I might not punch you.” Billy decided that he liked her, though she did seem quite intimidating.

“I’m in need of a crew,” Tommy started before the line of people fell into relative chaos. Kate and Billy exchanged looks. Most of the strangers seemed to be under the impression that Tommy owed them money, favors, or both. In all honesty they were probably right. “I can pay everyone back and then some!” That got the crowd a little more under control. 

“With who’s money?” Billy asked; he wasn’t about to ask Kate to loan him the money and he doubted that Tommy was in possession of a great amount of capital. Tommy waved a hand in dismissal. 

“Anyways, we’re off in the morning. We have food and supplies for where we need to go.” Tommy focused on another young man with silver hair. Billy wondered if they were related but the look the stranger gave Tommy was not one with familial qualities. “Noah, I could use your help.” 

“You could use many things, Tommy.” The two regarded one another in silence for a while before Noah cracked a smile. “I am going to regret this, aren’t I?” Billy could practically see the smile through the bandana around Tommy’s face. 

“Of course you will. It’ll be just like old times.” Tommy made short work of begging the rest of the group to join him, Kate and Billy watching while the silver haired man displayed a strange amount of charisma. It wasn’t that Tommy seemed to be unintelligent before, just that the idea of him being able to talk his way into gaining a crew was quite incredible. 

Even if said crew was made of people Billy wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alleyway. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, he knew.

“All right, crew, meet the man you and I are working for.” Tommy waved a hand at Billy. “Mr. William Maximoff--”

“My name’s Billy and I can introduce myself.” Billy stepped forward and looked at the strangers warily. Was he really about to trust them with his life? Did he even have a choice? “A few days ago my torn was attacked by a group of pirates led by a man named Loki.” Tommy had taken the few days at sea to explain who they were up against, though Billy suspected the man kept some details to himself. “He kidnapped a close friend of mine and now we’re going to get him back and make him pay for what he did.” Billy wondered if he should be more specific, maybe try to inspire everyone, but he decided to keep his little speech simple. “Any questions?” Crickets. Was that good? Billy was going to assume that was good. 

“Ok, great introductions all around Billy and pirates. But can we get going now? The tide’s aren’t going to wait for us,” Kate cut in, saving Billy the embarrassment of silence. Tommy looked at her and a single eyebrow rose. “I’m a merchant’s daughter; I know my way around the sea,” she explained. Tommy shrugged and took one last look at his fellow rogues.

“Well now’s as good a time as any. We have a bit of a journey to make after all.” Tommy started off down the dock, Billy following him. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. “You already know where Teddy is?” Tommy gave the gentleman an exasperated look. Billy did his best not to look offended, though he failed miserably.

“I have no idea where Loki took your friend, but I do know someone who can find him.” Tommy was definitely grinning behind his bandana, Billy decided. There was a look in his eyes every time he smiled. “Say, Billy. How do you feel about magic?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have really no excuse for taking so damn long with this chapter. Promise that I intend on finishing this story and, quite possibly, writing short extras in addition to it. Young Avengers is my thing ok? So it'll get finished. I'm just also really bad at pacing and shit so things aren't getting done and school's started up so. Well. Yeah. Anyways I hope that this isn't horrible. And don't worry, it'll start picking up from here.

Tommy swore up and down that this was the right place, but Billy wasn’t so certain. Even the well-seasoned pirates (none of them had actually said they were, but he wasn’t stupid) were a bit uneasy in the murky water. It didn’t help anyone’s nerves that they were approaching at night, the moon half-hidden by clouds. What light did filter through the clouds offered a haunting feeling. All in all, everyone’s nerves were on edge.

Everyone except for their captain. The silver-haired man walked up and down the deck like he was on holiday, chatting amicably to anyone who would say more than three words to him. The rag-tag group of misfits may have agreed to follow Billy and Tommy on their quest, but that didn’t mean they were open to conversation.

But, really, Billy didn’t blame them. Their ship trailed through the water, cutting past the waves and their only protection from the murky depths below. Once or twice Billy would have sworn he saw sharks circling, but he forced those thoughts out of his mind. I’m not going to my doom, he told himself. 

“I don’t like this,” Kate muttered as she walked over to where Billy was standing. She wore a heavy shawl to protect herself from the night’s chill; he had no idea where she had gotten it. “What if he’s leading us right into Loki’s hands?” Billy shook his head.

The thought had occurred to him more than once, among other things, but some gut instinct told him that Tommy wasn’t lying. At least, not about this. The pirate had promised that they needed to visit someone named the Scarlet Witch in order to find Teddy. Billy wasn’t sure how a witch was supposed to help them (and this was assuming he believed in magic which, like all sensible English gentlemen, he did not) but Tommy had been adamant. 

“We will be fine,” Billy reassured Kate as a loud splash broke the near-silence. The lady frowned but didn’t say anything else; she didn’t have a chance as Tommy strode towards them. His boots against the wood deck echoed and, somehow, were the loudest noise on the ship.

“Ah, there you two are.” Tommy’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “Come on now; we all need to go to plead our case to the Witch.” Tommy motioned for them to follow him. Billy raised an eyebrow. “What, you think we’re going to take the entire ship in to see her? We have to row the rest of the way. I already told Noah to drop anchor.” 

That would certainly explain the noise earlier. And it stood to reason that only a few of the crew could actually visit the mysterious Witch. Billy just nodded and followed Tommy, unsurprised to see Kate (and Clint, who had been nowhere in sight but apparently knew whenever Kate was going off somewhere) at his side.

“America, you’re coming with us,” Tommy instructed. A tall, mulatto woman nodded in reply. Billy was convinced that she was from the Spanish colonies, but he lacked the nerve to ask. “Noah is in charge of the ship until we get back.” Tommy waved at the other silver-haired man. “Try not to blow anything up,” he suggested. 

“Try not to anger the Witch off,” Noah replied without a moment of hesitation. Tommy laughed and shook his head as he climbed into a small rowboat that dangled over the side of the ship. America followed suit and, after a brief exchange of glances, Billy, Kate, and Clint were in the small area. 

“You should wear breeches.” America remained standing as the boat was lowered, swaying side to side but unperturbed. Clint mirrored her; Billy had the feeling that the two were sizing the other up, examining for any weaknesses. Kate raised an eyebrow and patted at her skirts, which were wet around the edges. Personally, Billy considered it a minor miracle that the gentlewoman’s clothes were still even close to proper.

“They are hardly conventional,” Kate replied. It had passed no one’s notice that America dressed like a man and carried herself like one. Billy made the mistake of thinking to act as a proper gentleman and see her needs taken care of first; America made it clear that she needed no such thing. “But…” Kate frowned. “I suppose I would not be opposed to the suggestion.”

America nodded, though she didn’t smile. She had never smiled, to Billy’s best knowledge. “Good.” She said nothing more as the rowboat hit the water. Tommy was a bit shaky for a moment but recovered quickly, the gleam in his eyes one promising mischief. 

“Come on, now. We’re close,” he told them before directing America and Clint to row them into the darkness.

It appeared out of the mist without so much as a pause, the lantern they brought along doing little to dissuade the environment from surrounding them and attempting to oppress them from their goal. Billy clutched the little container of oil and flame as if it were a lifeline; in fact it probably was. Though it felt like they rowed for hours, some logical part of Billy’s brain told him the shore was not that far away. If he peered through the fog, he thought he could see the outline of the ship, anchored some distance away.

Not far, no. But far enough to make it difficult to return in haste, should something happen. Billy really hoped nothing happened.

“This way.” Tommy waved a hand towards a rotting path of wooden planks that barely skimmed the surface above muddy water. They had found themselves in a swamp and, through some miracle, were not yet lost. Billy wasn’t optimistic enough to think that they were in the right place, though, and prepared himself for a long walk.

He exited the rowboat with no small amount of eagerness, aiding Kate as she pulled her skirts up past her ankles to step onto the planks. Now that Billy could see better (as the mist seemed to have disappeared, or at least faded) it was clear that they had stopped on some kind of a dock. In the distance, a flicker of lights shone against the otherwise dark background. 

“That’s the Witch’s house,” Tommy muttered as he checked his pistols. “When we get there, let me do the talking. And don’t touch anything.” Tommy was whispering, his voice muffled behind his covered mouth, but it was still loud enough for the group to hear. Billy nodded and they proceeded in silence. 

Billy isn’t sure what he expected, but a perfectly decent cottage settled on top of an otherwise disgusting swamp is not it. The small group shuffle forward, one foot in front of the other; there is no room for them to be next to one another, nor is the environment exactly friendly for casual conversation. As it is, Billy wonders if he is even breathing, his heart beating so loud in his chest that it is almost deafening. 

But there it is, the small cottage made out of stone which, somehow, is on top of the swamp in a manner that screams magic except Billy doesn’t believe in such a thing. There was a warm light inside the cottage, beams of yellow and white almost blinding in the otherwise dark night, but Billy cannot see inside the windows anymore than he can peer through the murky water and see what swims. 

“Now what?” Kate hissed, her annoyance clouded by a hint of anxiety that bleeds into her voice. She is behind Billy who is behind Tommy, but the pirate still heard her. The silver haired man just shrugged. 

“I’m not an expert on witches,” he replied with a casual flick of his wrist. Billy scowled and stepped forward, intent on knocking on the door like a gentleman and getting this entire endeavor over with. What he does not expect is the door to open before he can rap his knuckles against it, revealing a beautiful woman in a dark crimson dress, pale neck hidden by a lighter red scarf.

“Ah, right on time. Come in,” the woman said, stepping back and walking in the cottage. Billy and Tommy exchanged glances; neither, in all honesty, really wanted to go into the cottage but Billy has a lot more to lose. He swallowed back his fear and entered first, his mind calmed when he heard the others following en suite. 

When seen from the inside, the cottage could fit into any English countryside. In fact, Billy felt like he’d already encountered several of the little decorations that adorn the fireplace mantle, but he isn’t brave enough to reach out and touch anything. It was warm, at least, with a calm fire and several oil lamps lit around the room. Billy realized, with a jolt, that the entire cottage is one large area with nothing separating the woman’s sleeping area from the rest. He tore his eyes away from the neat bed, fighting down the blush that painted itself across his face. 

The woman just chuckled. “You are ever the gentleman, William. Though I have heard you prefer Billy?” She questioned, looking at him over her shoulder. Billy isn’t stupid enough to think that she’s flirting with him or anything like that. Not only could this person be as old as his mother, but she’s also got an edge of danger to her. It isn’t much different from the aura America gives off, Billy noted. 

“Scarlet Witch,” Tommy interrupted, “we’re here to ask--” The woman waved a hand and Tommy gripped his throat, eyes bulging but making no sound. Billy reached for the pistol he had taken to carrying and America drew her cutlass. Even Kate had a dagger, though Billy could have sworn that she was unarmed not a moment ago. 

“Please put your weapons away or I will actually harm your captain.” They didn’t have much of a choice; at the Witch’s words, weapons returned to their previous hiding places. The Scarlet Witch sighed and waved her hand again. Tommy’s voice returned and he swore like, well, a sailor. “I know why you’re here, Thomas.” That certainly got him to fall silent. She turned to Billy and he wondered if her eyes were usually so cold. “You came to the right person. I can help you but you will owe me.”

Billy nodded, unsurprised. “Name your price,” he replied. The Witch laughed and gave him a smile; it was startling how warm it was. As if the entire situation wasn’t strange enough, of course; Billy had been raised to fear witches and their ilk, seeing them as doing the Devil’s work. But this one was so warm and pleasant, it was hard to picture her sacrificing pigs or whatever it was witches did for their power. 

“You really are desperate for your friend back,” she pointed out, though there was nothing sinister in her voice. “I only want a small token from you and Tommy.” Now that she used his casual name, Tommy seemed more relaxed in her presence. Still, the pirate had his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” He asked, justifiably nervous. The Witch motioned for the little group to come over to the fire. A pot, black and old, was bubbling over the small flames. America didn’t move, nor did Clint, but Kate came closer. Tommy seemed to sniff the air and he made a face, eyebrows furrowing. “Am I supposed to smell something?” He asked.

The Witch shook her head. “Not yet, no. I’m missing a few ingredients,” she explained. Billy nodded and crossed his arms.

“So you want us to fetch them? That’s easily done.” He had no idea if he was telling the truth or not, but he supposed he couldn’t be that hard. From the look on America’s face, though, he might as well have just promised the Witch his firstborn child. “What are they?” Billy asked anyway. The Witch chuckled.

“Do not look so concerned, Miss America. What I seek is right in front of me.” The Witch stepped forward and caressed Billy’s face with her hand. “I need a lock of hair from you and Tommy. Then I will help you find Teddy.” Billy didn’t want to know how she knew Teddy’s name. He just nodded mutely and glanced at the silver haired pirate.

“Why hair?” Tommy asked, eyes narrowing. The Witch told him that it was for her own personal collection, which sounded even more sinister than Billy thought possible. “Just from me and Billy?” 

“Of course. I don’t need it from them,” the Witch replied instantly, pointing at Kate, Clint, and America. Billy wondered if he should be offended for their sake or just relieved. “Do you want your deal or not?” The Scarlet Witch had an edge of urgency in her voice and Billy wished he could refuse. There was nothing leading him to trust this woman. What if she couldn’t even find Teddy? 

Billy said as much and she chuckled. “I can find him. Can you save him?” She replied. That silenced any remaining protests Billy had. The Witch was right, unfortunately. Billy needed her much more than she needed him and the payment was only a few hairs. He should be counting his blessings.

Tommy pulled out a small dagger and cut a few strands of hair off, passing the hair to the Witch and the dagger to Billy. The gentleman didn’t hesitate as he mirrored the motion and cut his own hair, the thin black pieces resting in the palm of his hand. The Witch smiled warmly at the two as she threw the hair in the pot.

“What are you doing?” Billy cried out, unable to stop himself. A million horror stories of what a witch could cook up ran through his mind and Billy wondered if they were just going to be betrayed and killed. Perhaps the Witch would make them some kind of puppets, nothing more than shells to serve her every whim.

“Nothing that should concern you, Mr. Maximoff,” the Witch began before Billy interrupted by slamming his fist into the wall. A shelf wobbled, threatening to drop its containers to the ground.

“Like hell! I was minding my own self, following the King and God equally, about to be married. Then this man,” Billy gestured wildly at Tommy, “appeared and called me that name before getting arrested. That very night, an entire crew of pirates came and kidnapped my..” Billy hesitated. “My friend. All I want is to rescue him and go back and pretend none of this happened. So just tell me where Teddy is and we can be off on our merry way.”

The entire cottage was silent. Even the pot was no longer boiling over the fire, instead cooling to a low shimmer. Billy couldn't bring himself to speak up, to ask any questions. Tommy and Kate exchanged glances but remained silent. 

"Where is Teddy?" Billy finally asked, voice soft and low. He didn't look up, taking every ounce of control to stop his words from shaking. The Witch looked at him and nodded slowly. 

"He is with a group of pirates ruled by a man named Loki." At Billy's face, the Witch gave him a comforting smile. "He is safe, as far as I can see. But they're bringing him to a small island off the coast of Ireland. They believe... He is a son of a Maximoff." 

Billy frowned. What is it with people and Maximoffs? "I've never even heard of the Maximoffs," he admitted. The Witch frowned and there was a flash in her eyes of authentic disappointment. But it vanished within seconds and was replaced with her previous neutral look. 

"I trust Tommy will be able to inform you of it." The Witch shifted and patted down her dress. "The pirates think that he can break a curse that was placed on them almost a decade ago." The Witch was so deadpan that Billy believed her. After all he had seen, there wasn't much that could surprise him. "They are bringing him to an island that remains uncharted." 

Billy scowled. How in the world was this supposed to help him? The Witch was being so vague and unclear that Billy was willing to risk just sailing across the North Sea until he found Teddy, rather than stay any longer. "How am I supposed to find it then?" He asked, patience having long since run thin. The Witch glanced around before pulling a compass out of one of the folds of her dress.

"That's--" Tommy swore and patted at his vest pockets. "That's my compass!" He scowled and motioned for the Witch to give it back to him. She laughed and tapped it, holding it up. In the dim light, Billy saw the arrow spin in ridiculous circles, not stopping. "Great, now you broke it," Tommy complained. The Witch snorted and held it out for Billy. 

"It'll point towards what you want more than anything else," she promised. Billy swallowed and took it. Instantly, it stopped spinning and pointed Southeast. "It should work for the next week, but after that I cannot promise my magic will hold." She smiled warmly. "Good luck on your journey, young master Ma-- Kaplan." 

He nodded to her and bowed, hand clutching the compass like it was his lifeline. It wasn't, but it would lead him to Teddy and that was close enough. 

"Thank you." Billy turned back towards the others and gave them a solemn look. "Come on, let's go save Teddy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry it's taking me so long to update this story. I still love it and everything about it, but I just have been dying under college work. Promise that this story will be finished hopefully in a reasonable amount of time. Thank you to everyone who has kept up with it so far <3

“Do you think it really will work?” Tommy looked up and was only mildly surprised to see Miss Kate, her arms crossed as she glared at him from the suddenly open door to his cabin. Kate repeated herself, as if Tommy hadn’t heard. He waved a hand in annoyance.

“I know what you said, I just do not feel like discussing it right now,” he replied before going back to examining a large map of the British isles and nearby bodies of water. Just because Billy was the one with the magic compass didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do his best to figure this out himself. “My impression was that you and your friends wanted to rescue Teddy as quickly as possible.” Hell, Tommy was probably the only crew member not skeptical of the Scarlet Witch’s compass trick, but if it reassured the crew… Well, he wasn’t about to deal with mutiny.

Again. 

Kate, of course, couldn’t just accept that as an answer. She was a curious lady, more so than most others Tommy had encountered. Then again, the only other real experience he had was with America and she was not a typical lady. She’d probably punch him if she knew he referred to her as such.

“You know who this pirate, Loki, is.” Tommy didn’t reply. That did nothing to deter Kate. “Are you just going to ignore me?” She asked. _Well at least she’s intelligent,_ Tommy thought as he made an even bigger show of looking at the map. “Loki, the pirate. You have some kind of history with him.”

Tommy let out a sigh of exasperation. “What do you want me to say, Miss Bishop?” He turned away from the map to face the young lady, who was looking less and less like a lady with every passing day. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail not unlike one America had, and her once fair skin was now adopting quite a tan. Beyond just that, though, Kate was starting to wear breeches and shirts instead of the dresses that she had originally worn. 

“The truth. Who is Loki and what is your history with him? How did you know about the witch and why do you trust her?” Kate stepped inside Tommy’s cabin, not leaving him any room to try to exit without a confrontation. “And why does everyone think that Billy is a Maximoff? I’ve studied his family tree extensively and there is no one with that surname as far as I know.” The woman narrowed her eyes. “If this is all some kind of a plot…”

“Why is it that nobody trusts me?” Tommy bemoaned, standing and running a hand through his hair. “Honestly, is it because I am a pirate? Do we really have that bad of a reputation?” Kate’s look made it clear that his poor attempt at misdirection would not work. Tommy let out a deep sigh and sat back down. “Fine. Let us start with my history with Loki then, if that concerns you so much.” 

“It does.” Kate looked for a place to sit, but there were no other chairs. Tommy debated standing and being a gentleman, but he decided that any decorum or illusion of politeness had been destroyed when Kate invited herself into his quarters without so much as a knock. Besides, it wasn’t that long of a story. The abridged version at least.

“Loki is the captain of a ship called _The Nidhogg._ For my own reasons I joined him many years ago and soon became one of his most loyal men. We… Ah, we made a few mistakes in choosing which ships to rob. At one point we managed to anger a witch, and, well, you can imagine.” Tommy was well aware of how vague he was being, and so was Kate if the growing glare on her face was any indication. “I told Loki that it was a stupid idea and when he refused to change his mind I left.”

“Did you leave or were you forcibly removed?” Kate asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow in a way that made it clear just how much time she was spending with America. Too much time. 

Tommy waved a hand. “Not important. Like the rest of the story. All you need to know is that there is no love between me and the pirate Loki.” Tommy narrowed his eyes. “Do you understand?” 

“I understand that you are a coward who hides behind a mask and is only helping us retrieve Teddy because if you didn’t, Billy would stick a sword in your gut faster than you could even think about running.” Kate let out a sigh and shook her head. “This is a chance to prove that you are a better person than you seem to be, but so far you have done nothing but further confirm my assumptions about you.” She turned to leave but paused at the door. “Once we get Teddy, hope that you keep yourself useful. Because if not, I will arrest you myself.”

Tommy just starred as the lady left, closing the door behind her with a rather anti-climatic thunk. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, trying to think about something other than the passion that ran through her veins and the way her eyes gleamed as she berated him and challenged his honor. Yeah, that definitely wasn’t something he should be thinking of as a good thing.

He stared at his wall for several seconds before grabbing his coat and hat, putting them both on and making his way above deck. Noah nodded from where he was behind the wheel, navigating them wherever Billy’s magical compass decided to take them. Kate noticed Tommy’s appearance but did nothing, which he was thankful for. He came up there to get fresh air, not to start another argument.

The ship was a nice one, Tommy had to admit. She was fast in the water and had enough guns for the crew to be relatively safe, even with the small skeletal force they had on board. Certainly she was nothing compared to _The Nidhogg,_ but Tommy had long since given up hopes of being captain for that particular vessel. Even if something did happen to Loki, the man’s second would just step up into his place. 

That was probably for the better; when Tommy had been in a position of power, apparently he had done a rotten job of it. At least a poor enough one that the crew had agreed to maroon him on a desert island. That was not something he wanted to repeat again. No, Tommy was well adjusted to the life of a solitary rogue, spending his time exploring and making a living where and when he could. It wasn’t an easy life but it was his life, and Tommy enjoyed it.

He certainly found himself enjoying it more when he wasn’t on some bad, half-formed quest to save someone’s servant for reasons unknown to essentially anyone. At least Billy wasn an interesting fellow, though Tommy would take it quite personally if he died at some point during this whole debacle. Really, a man is sent to deliver a message and finds himself risking life and limb instead. It was almost enough to set one straight and narrow.

Almost.

“We’re close.” It was the aforementioned gentleman himself. Tommy raised an eyebrow, looking over at the man who might as well have been his twin. That was certainly something Tommy wasn’t letting himself dwell on. Besides, the Scarlet Witch would have mentioned a detail that important, wouldn’t she? “I don’t know how I know,” Billy continued. “I just… know.” 

Tommy adopted a cheeky grin before remembering that it was pointless. He settled for a shrug instead. “Magic, Master Kaplan. I don’t question it. Hurts my head.” The pirate leaned against the railing of the ship and looked out over the tossing and turning waves. “What puts you at peace, Billy?” He asked.

The gentleman gave him a strange look, no doubt attempting to understand Tommy’s motives, before answering. “Reading a book in the parlor at home, a fire going. Teddy relaxing next to me, my brothers quiet for once in their lives. Normality.” Billy let out a half-hearted laugh. “I wanted something to change for so long, but now that it has…” He didn’t finish his sentence but he didn’t have to. Tommy understood.

“The ocean does that for me. It’s temperamental, certainly, but I understand it better than anything else,” the pirate replied. But now the conversation was veering towards something far too personal so he just chuckled and shook his head. “Teddy means a lot to you, eh?” Tommy commented, as if that wasn’t obvious already. 

Billy took the bait or accepted the change of topic; either way he responded with a nod. “More than you can understand.” Tommy had his ideas, but he wasn’t sure if it was his place to mention them. Some things were beyond regular norms of conversation and ventured into dangerous territory, more so than even joining forces with a pirate and stealing an English merchant vessel in order to recover a servant. 

Some things could condemn even an honest man’s soul to hell. If, of course, he believed in hell.

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Teddy was comfortable, which was better than he feared. Well, comfortable wasn’t exactly the perfect way to describe being kept a prisoner by a band of insane pirates, but he was fed regularly and he even had his own room. All in all, it was a rather odd situation in the first place. But Captain Loki was polite, David didn’t seem to give much care to what Teddy did, and the other pirates were very much the same. 

He still didn’t knew what Loki wanted his help for, but as long as it didn’t involve killing anyone or dying then that was ok. Teddy would rather that not happen to him, understandably. “Ah, Mr. Maximoff. I was thinking that you could join me for dinner tonight. Unless you have any, ah, pressing plans.” He looked over at the person who had spoke, unsurprised to see that it was Loki.

“I didn’t have anything planned,” Teddy replied. Loki smirked and nodded, tipping his hat with an elaborate bow. “Are you going to tell me where we are headed?” The blonde asked, decided that he might as well try to get more information. All he got was a shrug before the Captain wandered off, barking orders at a few men who weren’t doing their job right. 

Teddy let out a sigh and went back to looking over the rails and watching the ocean, examining how the water shifted and reflected the sunlight back up at him. Ever since his initial trip to the colonies, he had avoided sailing for practical reasons as well as the fact that it disturbed him. It was impossible to know what lay underneath, what horrors were lurking right out of sight. 

For some people it was beautiful and charming, and Teddy supposed he could see why, but he felt no draw to it. Not like the sailors down at the docks at any rate. Maybe one day he could love the sea, but not now. Not while his life was in danger and he had no idea if Billy was ok. Hell, he didn’t even know if he’d ever see Billy again. That alone was enough to terrify Teddy. 

“Maximoff.” It was David, Teddy’s personal shadow. “I do hope you aren’t thinking of jumping. I’d have to follow you and I don’t like getting wet.” Teddy didn’t dislike David; perhaps in another situation they’d even be friends. The African was intelligent and seemed to enjoy playing games like chess to pass the time, rather than cards, and Teddy could appreciate that in someone. 

He personally had never been any good at cards; something about his face made it difficult for him to get away with lying. So he and Billy had played other games, though occasionally cards were used if they were too tired to think properly. Teddy tried to recall the last time they had played together; he couldn’t think of it. 

David stepped closer and Teddy realized he hadn’t replied yet. “I can’t swim,” he admitted. “If I was trying to escape, jumping overboard would be my last option.” David raised an eyebrow, not believing him for a second. Teddy supposed that was fair; he didn’t believe anything the pirates said either. “Are you going to kill me?” He asked, cutting straight to the point. 

“No.” David sighed and leaned against the railing, eyes focused on Teddy. “That would be a waste. The Captain doesn’t like to waste things.” That didn’t really make him feel any better, but it was still better than nothing. “You have nothing to fear as long as you cooperate,” David added. 

“What does that even mean?” Teddy half-moaned, slamming a hand against the railing. There was an intense feeling of frustration that he couldn’t shake. “All I know is you want me for something, but I have no idea what it is. I don’t have any information and I don’t have any money.” He let out a deep sigh and glanced over at David, who had a rather blank look on his face. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me anything.” 

David laughed. “It is not my place to let you know anything that the Captain has not told you already.” Teddy nodded, unsurprised. “Still, I can assure you it isn’t for your money and it isn’t for anything you know. Clearly.” There was an insult in there, but Teddy couldn’t pick it out. David chuckled and shook his head. “You worry too much, Maximoff.” 

“Call me Billy,” Teddy replied immediately. It was strange being called the wrong name, but there was something even more off about going by a family name he hadn’t known existed until a week ago. “It makes us even, at least.” David nodded, conceding to the point.

Teddy fell silent and looked back over the ocean. Every day he was out at sea, he warmed up to the strange tides. Yes, perhaps one day he could learn to love the sea. He already was starting to. The pirates though? Yeah, it was going to take a lot more before he wanted anything to get any closer to them.

“You should clean yourself up,” David muttered. It was so soft that Teddy almost thought that he’d imagined it, except the pirate was looking at him. Teddy raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t the faintest idea how he was supposed to. “We’ve got barrels of clean water down below. I’ll show you. If you want.” 

“Do I smell?” Teddy asked. “Because I’m definitely not the only one who needs a wash,” he added with a small smile. David looked like he was about to be offended, but they both knew it was true. The pirate ended up shrugging. 

“I’m not the one having an audience with the Captain.” That was a fair point. Teddy sighed and motioned for David to lead the way. “Follow me,” the African ordered, not waiting to see if Teddy would follow. He did; there was no point in turning down a chance to stop smelling like a pig stye. 

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Loki never ate in front of Teddy. Then again, none of the men did. It was odd, but then again Teddy took most of his meals in isolation. Still, it was unnerving to be served a plate full of food without the Captain having any in front of him. Maybe he had eaten earlier? 

Teddy decided that it wasn’t worth asking. Instead he dug in, ready to enjoy fresh meat and fruit. He didn’t even eat this nicely when he wasn’t a prisoner; Billy used to invite him for meals, but as they grew older it became less and less frequent until the invitations just stopped. Teddy used to not know why, even going as far as beginning to resent the Kaplans, but soon he accepted it as the way the world was run. 

Some people were born into money and nobility. Others, not so much. Teddy supposed he was lucky that he was even allowed to still see Billy. That might change once he got married though. Hell, it probably would. Teddy didn’t hate Miss Bishop for that, it wasn’t her fault. He couldn’t help but resent her though. She got what Teddy had wanted since he was a child.

“How is the food, Master Maximoff?” Captain Loki asked, threading his fingers together and resting his chin on them. “I had it prepared for you. It would be a shame if it disagreed with you.” Teddy wondered if he should be worried that it was poisoned, but they hadn’t killed him yet so he supposed there was no reason they would do it now. 

He managed to not glare at Loki, which was about as polite as Teddy could bring himself to be. “Why aren’t you eating? Not hungry?” Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow. Loki chuckled and shook his head, though he said nothing. That did nothing to prevent Teddy from enjoying the food, though being stared at the whole time was more than a bit disturbing. 

Loki was playing with something, twisting it between his fingers. Teddy looked over at the pirate, really looked, and realized with a shock that it was his medallion. Well, technically it was Billy’s. Had been? Did it count if Teddy had stolen it? Certainly Billy had never wanted it back and Teddy had offered.

The pirate noticed Teddy’s stare and grinned. “It’s rather beautifully made, isn’t it? Solid gold, brought over to England by immigrants from Prussia. Mined from mountains in Arabia, if the stories are to be believed.” Loki held his hands up; the medallion was gone. Teddy scowled and glared at his plate. 

His appetite was essentially gone; if Loki wanted to talk about legends, well, he didn’t have to make an occasion out of it. “It changed hands many times. First the Ottomans, who made it. Next the Romans who pillaged it and spread it across the empire in a bastardized form: the golden eagles of the army. When the barbarian Goths sacked the capital, they took with them the aquilas.” 

“If this is a history lesson, it’s pointless. I studied the classics.” Not strictly true; Billy had studied the histories of past empires and had told Teddy all about the glory of Rome. But it was better than admitting his education was, well, poor. Besides, Teddy was supposed to be masquerading as a noble. 

Loki gave Teddy a withering look. “Maximoff, you are a guest on my ship. Let me finish.” The pirate coughed. “The Goths took the aquilas-- you know, the standards of the Roman army-- and worshipped them as symbols of their strength. Eventually they fell and we see the lords and kingdoms of the medieval era. The Prussians took the eagles and melted them down, giving them away as medallions for the generals who succeeded in campaigns.

“One family, known as the Lehnsherrs, collected the gold. Through fate or greed, whatever you wish to call it, every single piece of the aquila gold became theirs. Eight hundred and eighty two medallions, each of them melted down and reformed into pieces like this.” Loki held up the coin; Teddy couldn’t tell where it had come from. 

“So? You have one of the pieces. Good for you.” Teddy scowled. “How does this involve me and the Maxi-- my family?” If Loki noticed the slip-up, he said nothing. He just sighed and shook his head.

“Silence. Why is it so hard for you to understand that?” Teddy wondered if this was where Loki did something more pirate-ish, like cut out his tongue or something. “Did you know that magic exists, Billy?” And this was where Teddy decided that this ship was led by someone who had been reading too many bedtime stories. “No, really, it does,” Loki continued. 

“My apologies if I don’t believe you so willingly,” Teddy replied with no small amount of sarcasm. Loki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The sleek black was a marked contrast to his pale skin, unnaturally so for a pirate. Then again, Teddy had only seen him above deck a handful of times.

“I suppose that is to be expected. Still, it does. You’ll realize that soon enough.” Loki frowned as he turned the medallion around in his hand. “The gold is cursed, Billy. Anyone who steals a piece is cursed. That is why we need you. We need you to break the curse.” He paused and looked Teddy right in the eyes. “I need you to break the curse.”

Teddy blinked, unable to process words. Then he started laughing. It was hysteric, uncontrolled laughter that shook his entire body. He pushed his seat away from the table and shook his head, barely able to stand. “D-Don’t be ridiculous. You’re crazy! You’re all crazy.” Teddy almost doubled over, even as Loki’s frown deepened. “I can’t help you because whatever you think is going on-- whatever this _curse_ is, doesn’t exist.” 

He hauled himself upright and shook his head again. “God, what have I gotten myself into?” Loki stood and Teddy had enough sense to back away, finding himself pressed against the door. “What are you going to do to me, kill me?” Teddy cried. “You’ve already taken everything else away from me, why don’t you go ahead and end it?” 

“Stop being a fool, Maximoff, and _sit down._ ” It came out as a command but it was the last thing Teddy wanted to obey. He pushed against the door and found that it was unlocked, falling backwards and out onto the deck bathed in moonlight. 

The men were doing their nightly duties; Teddy often heard them from his room, but he had never seen them. Usually he was confided to his little chamber after nightfall. He always assumed it was because they didn’t want him to escape, but now he knew the real reason was much more sinister. 

Curses were real and he was staring straight at the result of one.

Every man was a skeleton, their clothes hanging off of thin bones in rags, their hair knotted and sparse, eyes the only things untouched. They gleamed in the moonlight, staring straight at him and seemingly piercing his soul. Teddy let out a scream and tried backing into the captain’s quarters again, but he felt two hands push him forward and he stumbled away, falling onto his back. 

Loki shook his head slowly, his jaw a spotted gray with rotting teeth, hair falling from his skull in loose lines, his previously fine clothes no better than those on a beggar. “Really, Maximoff. You should start believing in magic and curses. What is it they say? Oh yes.” He kneeled down to look Teddy in the eyes. The pirate’s green eyes were still just as vibrant, but in a way that made it even more terrifying. “Seeing is believing.” 

Teddy swallowed and narrowed his eyes, trying to control his shaking nerves. “Don’t touch me.” Immediately, a hand grasp his shoulder. He finched away and looked up, seeing an unfamiliar man looking down at him. Teddy pulled free from his hand and stood, brushing himself off in an attempt to regain what pride was left. Though really, he couldn’t be faulted for his reaction that much. This entire situation was still something out of a child’s nightmares.

“David, please escort Master Maximoff to his room. I believe he needs some time to… process what he has learned,” Loki ordered. Teddy blinked, hardly believing that he was looking at the same man who had been his shadow for the past several days. He let David grab his arm and lead him below deck, still half-numb and suddenly in no condition to argue.

Once they were away from the moonlight, David’s appearance returned to what Teddy was used to seeing. It made the pirate much easier to look at, though the knowledge of who he really was… _what_ he really was, that was still in the back of Teddy’s mind. Still, he sat on his little bed and said nothing even as David hesitated by the door.

“We’re pirates and we’ve done terrible things, Maximoff. But we’re still human. At least, we were.” David waited a moment, but when Teddy said nothing he left. 

The blonde let out a heavy sigh and looked up at his ceiling. He hoped to God that Billy was safe and sound, that none of this would ever come back to him. Teddy couldn’t imagine what he would do if he knew Billy was in danger. In fact, he didn’t want to even consider it.

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Billy at least had the manner to knock and wait to see if Tommy would open his door. When the pirate didn’t, the gentleman knocked again. Tommy had no desire to actually talk, but it appeared that he had no choice; Billy decided to emulate Miss Bishop and walk right inside the cabin. Tommy looked at him and sighed.

“I suppose if I tell you all I want to do is sleep you’ll leave me alone?” The look Billy gave him was all he needed. Tommy let out another sigh and was glad that he made a habit of wearing his bandana in his quarters; no doubt both Kate and Billy would have some interesting questions if they saw him without it. “Fine then. Sit down and make yourself comfortable if you’re insistent on talking.” 

The gentleman did so, but didn’t say anything for several moments. He opened and closed his mouth, something obviously on his mind, but the words refused to come out. Tommy was tempted to let this go on. He certainly didn’t lose anything by letting Billy stumble over his words. Still, it was growing late and Tommy really did want to sleep. 

“Listen, either tell me what’s on your mind or leave,” he half-growled. Billy scowled and Tommy was struck, not for the first time, with feeling like he was looking into a mirror. He wondered if the Scarlet Witch knew what she was doing, if she had some sort of ulterior motive, but he had no idea what that would be. 

“I never asked you what your message was.” Tommy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. In all honesty, he had almost forgotten it himself. “It hardly seems important now, but I can’t help but feel like I should know why I’m in this mess in the first place,” Billy continued. That confused Tommy further, which was apart enough for his companion to add on: “The pirates came after you, of that I have no doubt. The fact that they took Teddy is another matter entirely.” 

Tommy shrugged, in no real position to disprove anything Billy wanted to believe. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had any proof showing otherwise. “The message was given to me through an anonymous source, so I don’t actually know who it’s from.” The look on Billy’s face made it clear just how impressed he was so far. “It was a simple thing, really.”

“Are you going to tell me or are you going to dance around it all day?” Billy asked, annoyance bleeding through his voice. Tommy sighed; there really was no way this was going to go over, but he supposed it was best not to lie. Besides, Billy deserved to know the truth. 

“I was supposed to tell you that your mother is alive. Her name is Wanda Maximoff and she wants to meet you.” _And,_ Tommy thought, _if I’m correct she’s my mother as well._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did tell you that this chapter would not be such a long wait :D Anyways, it's longer than the others and I don't know if I'll be able to keep the length up, but we shall see.

Kate knew that Billy had spoken to Tommy about something, she just didn’t know what. Neither of them were willing to open up about their conversation, which usually wouldn’t bother Kate except for the fact that she could see the tension rolling off of them in waves. Hell, the entire crew could; America and Noah were the only ones gutsy enough to comment, but all they said was what everyone else was thinking.

In short, it was driving down morale and making everyone just a little more uncomfortable. And, in turn, all Kate wanted to do was strangle both men concerned. Or at the very least lock them in a cabin together until they sorted out whatever mess they had made. Clint was inclined to agree with her, but unfortunately the crew had more important things to worry about.

Things that they were currently all huddled around a large table to discuss. It was not lost on anyone that Billy and Tommy were standing opposite from one another, yet somehow avoiding so much as looking at the other. Kate held back a sigh as Billy asked America for clarification on a point that Tommy had just explained.

“I mean,” Tommy replied with no small amount of snark, “that the island we’re going to, if I’m correct, is full of tunnels. That is most likely where they have taken your precious servant.” America glanced at Kate and pursed her lips as if to say ‘look at what I have to put up with.’ Kate was very much inclined to agree.

Billy shook his head. “That isn’t what I was asking, but thank you for your much-needed input.” He looked down at the crudely drawn map. Tommy claimed that he didn’t remember anything clearer, but it was beyond annoying that they were relying on something that was little more than a rough circle with a few lines across it. “Why are they taking him here anyway? Is this some kind of pirate base?” He looked at the other pirates, but none of them seemed to have any answers.

Or, in Tommy’s case, was about to give them out.

Noah cleared his throat and traced the eastern coast of the island. “If we approach from here, the cliffs will give us cover. A small party can take a rowboat and land without being seen.” It was the first sensible thing Kate had heard all day; she could have kissed him. “We only need to get Teddy back, correct?” 

“Technically,” Tommy replied, though his hesitation was palpable. He shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the way everyone was looking at him. Really, it wasn’t his fault that he was so often the bearer of bad news. He just happened to know more than everyone else. “Loki is notoriously determined and stubborn. If he wants to get his hands on Teddy, he’ll keep trying until something else catches his fancy or he succeeds.”

Billy pursed his lips. “So what you’re telling me is that we have to kill Loki as well? Because this pirate thinks that Teddy can break some sort of magical curse?” At least he wasn’t arguing that magic didn’t exist anymore. Then again, that was most likely because magic was the only way Billy was going to find his servant at this rate. 

“Essentially, yes.” Tommy sighed and shook his head. “We should focus on the obvious problem. Even if we all were trained in combat, which we aren’t, we’re still outnumbered. A direct approach would only succeed in getting us all killed or sold into slavery.” Kate raised an eyebrow; she had never heard of a European being a slave. “It happens,” was all Tommy said on the subject.

The discomfort on America’s face, which was subtle but there enough for Kate to pick up on it, was enough to get the lady to drop the topic. “So we pick a small group to infiltrate the caves, take Teddy, and get back to the ship,” Kate suggested, changing subject matter like one would change sheets on a bed. 

“I hardly think we outgun _The Nidhogg,_ ” Billy argued. “Perhaps we could disable their ship in some fashion? If the majority of the pirates are at the caves then that gives a boarding party a chance.” Kate was silent and that was all he needed to continue. “I suggest two groups. One goes to rescue Teddy and the other somehow incapacitates Loki’s ship.” There was no question of which Billy would be part of.

Noah, however, had a few ideas of his own. “We don’t have enough people to man two missions as well as protect the ship. If even one group failed then we risk losing everything.” 

“Then we don’t fail,” Billy countered. Everyone fell silent. There was really no way of having a plan that was guaranteed to work; it just seemed that each successive plan they did come up with were filled with more risks than the last. They didn’t fear death, none of them did, but that didn’t mean they wanted to rush towards it without a care in the world.

Billy could understand that, and he knew that none of the people here owed him anything. Not even Kate, who may be engaged to him but was putting her and her family’s reputation on the line by running away with him. Still, they had shown no sign of abandoning him now and there was every chance that they would follow him regardless. Or at least follow whatever promises Tommy had made to them.

Speaking of the pirate, he coughed and waved a hand to get everyone’s attention. “May I propose a another, less dangerous plan?” This time he didn’t waver when the rest of the eyes turned to face him. “I go with Billy and we sneak into the caves together. I know them better than anyone else except maybe the original creators, whom I assume are now dead; it’ll be no hardship to bring two people in.”

“Three.” Now everyone’s gaze turned to Kate. “I’m going with you.” That earned a looked of disapproval from Billy and Clint, as well as a shake of Tommy’s head.

“Absolutely not,” he replied. “You are a lady and the daughter of a rich and well-known merchant. If Loki captured you then he most certainly would hold you for ransom.” Tommy paused. “If he didn’t kill you first.”

“I hate to say this but I agree,” Billy added. “You’ve already put yourself in far too much danger coming with me in the first place. While I appreciate it, I also don’t think it’s right for you to do much more--”

“Billy, we’re not married yet and quite frankly I’m starting to think we never will be--”

“Miss Bishop, you really don’t need to prove anything to anyone,” Noah added, as if that was going to help anything. All it really did was earn him a sharp-eyed glare from Kate. For his credit, Noah didn’t so much as blink.

“This isn’t about proving myself,” she argued, “it’s about me wanting to help a friend who could use it.” The ‘also I trust Tommy as far as I could throw him’ bit was heavily implied. Still, Billy didn’t like the idea. 

He also knew just how stubborn Kate could be. Billy pulled her aside and lowered his voice, hoping that no one else would hear. They most certainly would see the desperate look in his eyes. “Please, Kate. I have to focus on rescuing Teddy. I can’t do that if you’re there too.” 

“Why not? Because I’m a woman and you think I need your protection?” That was certainly the easy answer; Billy was born and raised a gentleman. It went against everything he had been taught to let a lady go into danger. If she had to, or was thrust into an unsafe environment, it was his duty to protect her. 

But that would have been the easy answer and it would have been a lie. Billy shook his head. “Because I care for you as an equal and losing you would mean losing my only other friend.” That stripped all the words from Kate’s mind. She blinked at him in surprise, opening and closing her mouth mutely. 

After a moment she nodded. “I understand.” Kate turned back to the table and looked around. “Billy and I have come to an agreement. He will go into the caves with Tommy and if he isn’t back in six hours then I will lead a party personally to save them.” That wasn’t close to what they had talked about, but Billy got the feeling that he should concede while he was ahead. 

Then again, ‘ahead’ was really such a subjective term. By the look of things, Tommy looked like he wanted to argue and Clint wasn’t all too happy with the agreement, but neither said anything. The pirate in question just nodded and glanced at Billy. 

“While I’m gone, Noah is in charge. Does everyone understand?” There were a scattered amount of nods and a few let out a rather subdued ‘aye’ in response. No one argued, though, so Tommy continued. “Billy and I will leave at night. If we don’t return within _eight hours,_ then you can come rescue us. I doubt it will take that long, but on the very slim chance that we arrive in the caves before Loki and his men, then we will need time to wait.” 

“How much longer until we get to the island in the first place?” America asked. Almost immediately there was the sound of feet pounding against the wooden deck of the vessel and someone cried out ‘land ho.’ She seemed rather amused by the coincidence. “Nevermind.” 

Tommy glanced around. “If we don’t have anything else to discuss, we should get ready. There’s another few hours until sundown but after that Billy and I should leave. No point in waiting any longer than we have to.” He paused, waiting for someone to disagree with him. “Well if that’s it,” Tommy added after a moment, “then get out of my cabin.”

America and Kate had matching eye-rolls as they left, followed by Clint and Noah. Billy began to leave but Tommy stopped him. “Not you, Billy. We need to talk.” There were at least a dozen things Billy would rather do, but he just nodded and stayed put. 

Soon enough, the cabin emptied out. Neither man spoke for the longest time, tension thick in the air. 

Billy was still upset and offended by Tommy’s accusations. It wasn’t that he hadn’t dreamed often of a family reunion, discovering that his mother and father were alive and living happily. Just, well, he had never expected the news to come from a pirate. Especially not from one who had, essentially, turned his life into something out the adventure novels his adoptive mother loved so much.

Tommy hadn’t been so much offended by Billy’s disbelief as he had been annoyed. There was, in his eyes, no reason to lie about something like this. Hell, he used to have proof except for the fact that all of his things had been confiscated by the militia when he had been captured. Otherwise he would provide the exact letter for Billy to read. 

“Are you going to be able to do this?” Tommy asked, ignoring one elephant in the room for another. Billy raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue. “There’s no way to put this delicately, not with the amount of time we have, so I’ll just go out and say it.” Still, Tommy took a shaky breath. If he was wrong, this could destroy all the trust it had taken him so long to build. If he was right, Billy might kill him anyway. If not now, then later.

“Spit it out,” the gentleman practically spat, impatience written all over his face. Tommy nodded and leaned back against the far wall. At least this way he would have a bit of a warning if Billy tried to strangle him.

“Your relationship with Teddy… It was not purely that of servant and master, was it?” Of all the things, that was not what Billy expected to hear. His mind went from anger to disgust to fear. How did Tommy know? Was it really so apparent? Who else knew or had suspicions? _How did Tommy know?_

And what even was Billy’s relation to Teddy? Certainly they had shared a kiss, but that was all. He didn’t even know if Teddy was now regretting his actions or if he only regretted waiting so long. Perhaps Billy would never know; he had to find Teddy first. Even then, would Teddy want to talk to him? Maybe he blamed Billy for abandoning him and leaving him to get captured in the first place. It would only be what Billy deserved. 

Tommy could sense Billy’s distress, though he did not know the full extent of it, and held up his hands. “I am not going to turn you in. Not only would I be hung alongside you, but it is of no concern to me. I just need to know because the mission relies on you and I being able to make intelligent decisions.”

 _If I was intelligent, I would have taken Teddy with me when my family ran from our estate._ Aloud, Billy said nothing. He didn’t have the words to describe anything, explain anything. It helped to hear that Tommy had no interest in handing them over to the authorities, but that hardly mattered; what about the rest of the crew? What about Kate? 

She had said something about their marriage, about how she doubted it would ever be fulfilled. Did that mean she suspected? _Oh God does she know? Does this entire ship know?_ There was no way to be certain until there was a knock on his door and a cell waiting while the noose was prepared.

Billy found that he couldn’t stand and his knees gave out. He fell to the floor, sitting there numb and ignoring the way that Tommy immediately came to his side. “Are you all right? No, don’t answer that, I know.” But he didn’t, and that was the problem. “It will be ok. I will not turn you in and I am confident that only I and perhaps Kate know.” Billy shook his head; it wasn’t even that he feared death, though that was a serious concern.

There was no way that Billy’s parents would be amicable for him to just end his engagement to Kate and go off with Teddy; as a young man of relatively good standing he was expected to marry sooner or later. Even if the Bishops decided Kate’s prospects were better elsewhere, the Kaplans still had a strong historical lineage and their wealth would amass once again. As the eldest son, even adopted, Billy had too many expectations. 

Short of faking his death or finding some other way to disappear, there was no chance for Billy to be happy with Teddy. Perhaps the blonde could remain under his service, but sooner or later it would be expected for him to focus on his promising blacksmithing career. They would be parted and there would be few reasons for them to continue anything other than an acquaintance-hood, though that was further assuming whoever Billy married did not want them to move elsewhere, bringing him far from Teddy. Simply put, there was no chance for them to be happy. 

And, of course, this was all assuming that they got out of this mess in the first place without dying. That was yet another thing that Billy still was not confident in. 

“William Maximoff, _listen to me._ ” Tommy lost his patience and shook him, snapping him out of it. Billy scowled and pushed the pirate off of him, brushing off his coat and standing.

“That is not my name,” he insisted. Tommy waved a hand in the air; they would eventually reach that particular argument, but neither of them had any interest in making this conversation anymore difficult than it already was. “And to answer your initial question, yes. I will be able to do this perfectly well. If you continue to question my abilities then I will leave you here and take Noah with me,” Billy added.

Tommy rolled his eyes; it was an empty threat, seeing as no one on the ship but he had ever been to the island before. But if it made Billy feel better then there was no harm. “Fine. I just thought I would ask.” He extended a hand to help the other up. Billy hesitated but took it. “Believe it or not, but I do have some measure of concern for your well-being.”

“In that if I die you will have a very angry Kate to answer,” Billy shot back. Tommy shrugged. That was neither here nor there in his mind. “Now come on. We have a serv-- friend. A friend to rescue.” It felt nice to refer to Teddy as something other than a subordinate. As someone who meant _something_ to Billy. 

If Tommy noticed the smile on Billy’s face, he said nothing. 

(*)(*)(*)(*)

The cliffs were too high to climb, that much was obvious, but apparently there was a small river that they could float up before getting into the cave system itself. At least, that was what Tommy claimed. 

“The full ship can’t make it,” he added as he double-checked that his pistol and sword were on his belt. “But a small rowboat will be more than able.” Tommy looked at Billy, who had stripped down to just a thin jerkin and a pair of loose pants. He had grabbed a pair of boots from somewhere, having long ago discarded his more gentlemanly shoes. They would have been out of place in the caves anyway. 

Billy raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you wish to say?” His hair was getting rather shaggy and he was close to needing a shave. All in all, he was starting to look like a rather respectable pirate. Not that Tommy was planning on saying that aloud anytime soon; he had fought enough with Billy. No need to antagonize the gentleman anymore than necessary.

“What weapons do you have?” Tommy asked. Billy motioned to his waist, where a sword and a pistol were attached to his belt. “Good. This isn’t something we can talk our way through.” The pirate made a face. “Trust me, that would be my preferred method.” He walked over to the side of the ship where Clint and Noah seemed to be arguing over what would go in the rowboat.

At least, it seemed like that was what they were talking about. Clint said nothing, just held up his hands and pointed at different things. Noah looked close to pulling his own hair out from annoyance and was relieved when Tommy appeared. “Tell him that we can’t send extra muskets with you two. I’ve told him that about five times and he won’t take no for an answer,” Noah complained. 

“Clint, the muskets are better served on the ship. Not only will Billy and I be encumbered by such things, but we also will have no chance to reload. And I assure you that there will be more than two pirates guarding Teddy,” Tommy promised Kate’s guardian. The blonde scowled and shook his head, pointing at the weapons hold and then motioning to the rowboat. “Where’s Kate?” Tommy asked, ignoring Clint for the time being. “She can talk to him.”

“I’ll find her,” Noah replied, slipping away and seeming more than a little relieved that he didn’t have to attempt communication for the time being. Clint gave Tommy a dirty look that would have been more intimidating if the pirate wasn’t used to receiving them at least ten times before midday. 

Tommy didn’t even like using muskets, if he were to be completely honest. They were too large to be of much use on a ship and it was a pain in the ass to try to reload them with any amount of speed. Besides, he was never that far away from anyone he was trying to kill; a pistol or a cutlass would suffice for all of his swashbuckling needs. 

Clint made another motion with his hands, getting Tommy’s attention, but quickly realized that the pirate had no idea what he was doing. “Sorry, I don’t understand,” Tommy told him. “Never learned Navy hand signals since I was never in the navy.” 

“Neither was he,” Kate called out as she appeared on deck. She waited until Clint was looking at her before moving her hands, fingers essentially a blur. Clint replied likewise and Tommy found himself completely lost. He had heard of deaf or mute people coming up with clever ways to talk, but he had never seen it in person. “That’s a rather brilliant idea, Clint,” Kate told him with a nod. “Good plan.”

“Can the rest of us know what it is?” Tommy asked, both annoyed at being left out and intrigued at the mystery behind the finger-language. “Anything to help us get this over with would be appreciated.” 

“He thinks if we filled up the other rowboats with gunpowder and pointed them at the pirate ship, then we could set them off and explode their ship before they could react.” Kate paused, watching Clint’s hands. “A musket ball at a close enough range would be hot enough, or if you have any crossbows or regular bows then we could set the arrows on fire.” It sounded absolutely insane and impossible.

Tommy loved it. There’s was just one slight problem. “I don’t know if it would help at all. We’d have to be quite close to their ship in order to make the shot and then they could just fire back.” Kate pursed her lips and nodded, looking at Clint and telling him something with her fingers. 

Yet again they had an entire conversation without saying a single word and Tommy decided that he was going to have to learn this. Then he remembered that he would never see Kate again after this was all over, and that meant no Clint, so there was no point in even trying. For some reason that made him sad.

He pushed that thought aside in time for Kate to turn back to him. “Clint says if we put him on a rowboat with a few muskets he can do it.” Tommy looked at the blonde and actually _looked_ at him for the first time. There was a small scar on his eyelid, his hands were rough from what could have been pushing a plow but was most likely holding a sword, and he held himself in a way that would usually have sent Tommy running in the other direction.

“Ex-army, eh?” The pirate asked Clint directly. Tommy waited for a reply and got none. Kate motioned towards him and Clint realized that he was being spoken to; he turned and Tommy repeated himself before adding, “Deaf then?” It probably broke some kind of gentleman’s law to be so forward, but Tommy didn’t really care for such things. As it was, Clint didn’t seem offended; he simply nodded. “Well as long as you can handle a musket and don’t mind us leaving you there if you miss, I see no reason to stop you.” 

Kate looked like she disapproved of the last bit of what Tommy said, but he continued before she could say anything. “Pirate’s Code and all that; I’d explain it to you but, well, you aren’t pirates.” 

“Are we going to save Teddy or are we going to sit around and talk?” Billy called out. Tommy glanced at him and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course that didn’t stop Billy from walking over and extending a hand for Clint to shake. “Kate’s safety is in your hands, sir. And if I don’t return, I expect you to aid her when she comes to find me.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes and gently knocked shoulders with Billy. “No negative talk, Billy. That’s just setting us up for failure. I prefer to think positively about these matters.” He cracked his knuckles and grinned before remembering that he was wearing his stupid handkerchief around his face. “Now then, you said that you are ready to be off and save your beloved-- servant?” _Smooth going Shepherd,_ Tommy thought to himself. 

Billy, for his part, just glared at the pirate. After all, just because one man was ok with the idea of this being a rescue for Billy’s love interest did not mean the rest of the crew would be. Though Tommy would like to think the rest of his companions would be as understanding or at least impassive about the nature of Billy’s relationship with Teddy, there was no way to be certain. Regardless, Tommy really knew he shouldn’t care too much about what happened to Billy, but something about the gentleman drew the pirate to him. 

He was never good with words though, and he made no effort to use them now. All Tommy was certain of was that he would be sorely disappointed if something did happen to Billy, and not just because the gentleman was rather amusing to have around. 

Tommy glanced at Kate and Clint, who both were absolutely oblivious to the brand new source of anxiety on Billy’s shoulders. The signs were there, certainly, but only if one knew what to look for; Tommy couldn’t fault them for missing it. They certainly cared for Billy, more so than the gentleman seemed to know. 

“America, Noah!” Tommy pulled himself back into reality and looked for his two more or less trustworthy crew members. “Have fun while I’m gone but don’t sink my ship. No getting into fights you can’t win and definitely don’t run off without me. I’ve been marooned once, I’d rather keep the number as low as possible.” It wasn’t a huge concern, but it was still ever-present in Tommy’s mind. Then again, Kate wouldn’t abandon Billy so if anything the crew would wait until he was secure before leaving Tommy to rot.

America adopted her shit-eating grin. “Don’t worry, _chico._ We would not leave Billy with you. That is a fate worse than death,” she told him cheerfully. Tommy rolled his eyes and flipped her off. Sometimes he wouldn’t mind being a bit surprised by everyone. Alas, the only surprises he ever got seemed to be bad ones.

Tommy sighed and hopped into the rowboat, giving Billy enough space to join him as they swung out over the side of the ship. Clint, Noah, and several others lowered the dinghy into the water, releasing them into the sea. 

“Ready to save Teddy?” Tommy asked, hoping that his voice was more confident than he actually was. Billy, at the very least, seemed to believe his bravado and nodded, taking his place at the oars. “Good.” 

Tommy didn’t mention that the last time he had fought Loki, the other pirate had disarmed him in several motions and eventually left him stranded on an island. Really, no need to worry Billy anymore than necessary. 

Besides, this time Tommy was prepared. 

(*)(*)(*)(*)

The two men fit in the rowboat easily; the thing was built for at least eight people, more if they really tried, and the two of them were only lightly armed and dressed. They didn’t bring provisions with them; if they didn’t get Teddy soon then they were probably captured or dead. For obvious reasons Tommy was banking on neither, but he would much prefer being captured. At least then he had a chance for survival.

“Be honest with me, pirate,” Billy began before hesitating. His voice had an edge of venom but it was forced and the look in his eyes made it clear that his hatred was half-hearted. “Tommy, I… What chance do we have that Teddy is alive? What if the compass is pointing me towards…” He couldn’t finish what he was saying. Tommy did not hold that against him.

But Tommy knew in his gut that Loki wanted Teddy alive. The curse didn’t specify if the blood sacrifice had to be a certain amount or fresh or anything, which left a lot of the details to pure speculation. It wasn’t that Loki was a particularly nice man either, but Tommy couldn’t see him risking not having enough blood or a fresh enough source. No, Loki would keep Teddy alive. 

Tommy told Billy as much, and the gentleman seemed to relax. “Don’t tell me that you actually trust what I say,” Tommy couldn’t help but add, a slight edge of humor in his voice. Billy rolled his eyes as they rowed towards the island. Right now it was his turn, but once he grew tired then Tommy would take his spot. Neither man had enough pride or stamina to attempt to row the entire time.

“Sometimes I do and then you just go and say things like that.” Billy fell silent for a moment, the sound of the sea rolling over them. In a small dinghy, every wave threatened to tip them if Tommy leaned too far to the left or Billy mistimed the pace of his movements. It kept them awake at the very least. “You are a good man, Tommy. I… I know you were just delivering your message and that it is not your fault that it was a lie. Just know that I do not hold it against you.” 

Tommy raised an eyebrow as Billy continued, not looking at the pirate. “Your character may be questionable, but you have been nothing but helpful and courteous in your behavior towards me and my companions.” Billy made a face. “Well, aside from your occasional comment and attitude, but that may be forgiven as part of your personality. Besides, it is not inherently cruel, which is more than I can say for what I know of most pirates.”

“Because you make a habit of interacting with pirates?” Tommy questioned. “Perhaps you take afternoon tea at the local prison, chatting with the condemned men about their work ethic and moral obligations. Or is that Miss Bishop’s job?” Billy scowled. 

“My parents were killed while visiting the colonies. Their ship was attacked and sunk by pirates. I was the only survivor.” Billy said, in the manner of someone who had told the story many times. Tommy nodded and tipped his hat, unsure if Billy wanted his sympathies or not. Nothing anyone could offer would return Billy’s family from the grave, though that assumed that there were no living relatives. It was tempting to mention that once more, but Tommy stopped himself just in time. No need to poke that hive with a stick. 

Still, he couldn’t help but reply. “I was raised by a family of merchants. They found me amidst some wreckage in the Atlantic and saved me. I was only a child, not yet eight by their count.” Tommy hesitated, but he supposed if this was honesty hour he might as well tell Billy the full story. “Loki and I grew up side by side in England, along with his brother.” Billy looked at Tommy, surprised.

“Loki has a brother?” Tommy nodded, not meeting his gaze. He was focused on the coastline, which was no longer a hazy blur. The cliffs were to their back and within an hour they would make it to the river’s mouth. Hopefully their presence would go unnoticed; the longer they had the element of surprise the better. 

Billy was not done talking. “What happened to him? To Loki’s brother,” he asked. Tommy shrugged, ignoring every memory that started to swarm up from the recesses of his mind, threatening to engulf him. He had been friends with Loki, once. It seemed as if that was another life. 

“Hell if I know,” he lied. In truth, Thor was somewhere in the Orient, running around in an officer’s uniform and enforcing the opium trade in the name of the king. He had gotten out of the small town as quickly as possible, making a name of himself in a respectable field. Loki had never forgiven his brother for the perceived slight, for the way their father spoke of him and refused to acknowledge Loki as part of their family. 

At least, that was Tommy’s understanding. Loki no longer brought up his family while sober; the only reason Tommy knew so much was because of his ability to out-drink just about anyone. It was the hair, he claimed. It gave him the power of permanent sobriety. Utter nonsense, of course, but it impressed everyone who heard and it wasn’t like anyone had disproved his claim. 

“How old are you, Billy?” Tommy asked, sudden bout of curiosity striking him. Well that and his ever-developing theory. “You can’t be older than twenty five, being newly engaged to Kate.” The gentleman nodded. 

“Close. I’m three and twenty years. You?” Tommy was glad that he did not have to force a smile; with the cloth covering his face it made no difference if he scowled or not. 

“Likewise.” He fell silent and let his thoughts stew for a moment. “Let me row for a time. We still have plenty to go.” Tommy expected Billy to argue, but the man must have been more tired than he let on for he only nodded and allowed Tommy to take over; the repetitive process of moving the oars allowed him to think in relative peace. 

Because if he was correct, if he, Tommy ‘Shepherd,’ was indeed related to Billy by blood, then that meant a few things. First, it meant that they were both Maximoffs; in their blood ran magic and other powers that would make a God-fearing citizen quake in their boots. Their family line had dominated the underground of Europe for over a century. 

Two, it meant that they were twins and their identical appearances were not just coincidence. Their mother was one Wanda Maximoff, someone Billy knew better as the Scarlet Witch. She had claimed Billy as her own, but Tommy had been running messages and other errands for her for at least three years, yet she had never spoken to him of anything but business. Was she ashamed that one of her sons was a pirate? Or did she truly not recognize him? Tommy knew that he could have _that_ particular crisis later.

There was something much more important to consider.

Because, third, if they really were twins that meant that both he and Billy could break Loki’s curse. That left only one other question: did Loki know that?

(*)(*)(*)(*)

“You cannot take this much gunpowder,” Noah argued even as America, Clint, and several other crewmembers set up the rowboats. The ship had four on each side; with Tommy and Billy gone, that left seven. Clint would need one to shoot from, so there were six to fill with powder. It wasn’t a large amount, but it was enough to severely deplete their stores.

Which, of course, was why Noah disagreed so much with the plan. He didn’t go as far as to try physically stopping them, no doubt because he was outnumbered. Well that and because everyone knew America could beat him in any sort of a fight. Still, his displeasure was clearly written on his face. 

America caught Kate’s eye and nodded over at Clint. “You think he can make the shots?” She asked. This was a huge gamble, Kate knew; if it failed then they would hardly have enough powder to fire a few rounds, let alone get into a fight with _The Nidhogg._ Not to mention that this would mean they had no rowboats. Then again, if things got that bad then they would need much more than a few dinghies to save them.

“Clint was a sniper for the army until he… quit.” Kate wasn’t actually sure what had happened, only that one day she had woken up and had a new guardian to follow her every footstep. It was fortunate that he was good company, though initially his stoicism and silence had really disturbed her. Now that they found a method of communication, though he only used it when he had to or was in private, his personality had won her over.

Or, rather, his snark and various sarcastic comments had completely rubbed off on her. 

America put another barrel of powder in a boat before brushing her hands off and looking at what they had prepared. “If this works, Loki won’t know what hit him,” she murmured. Kate couldn’t help but smile.

“That is the idea, yes.” America glanced at her and chuckled. 

“I did not think you would get this far, _chica._ You’re practically a pirate already.” She meant it as a compliment and, though Kate knew she should be offended, it was pleasant to hear. An odd thought, of course. Her mother would have fainted if she saw Kate in breeches and a loose shirt, her hair pulled back off her face with a piece of leather Clint had found several days ago. Kate hadn’t really been able to look at herself in a mirror, but this was far more comfortable than anything she had worn before. 

She practically jumped out of her skin when someone dropped one of the barrels. “Watch it!” She snarled, narrowing her eyes at the crewmember in question. “Do you want to blow up the entire ship?” Kate asked. The pirate opened and closed his mouth, words not coming out.

Clint seemed to appear out of nowhere and picked up the gunpowder, putting it in the rowboat without any effort. He had a sword slung on his hip as well as two pistols, though Kate didn’t really understand why. The whole point of the mission was for him to _not_ get close to anyone. If he were close enough to draw his sword then he was most likely about to be captured, and that was something that Kate could not let happen. 

Billy wasn’t the only one who would go to hell and back to save a someone who was a servant only in name. 

“Clint,” someone called over, frowning when he got no reaction from the blonde. “Uh, Clint?” Kate was always a little amused at the confusion strangers got when trying to communicate with her man-in-waiting, but this time she intervened sooner than she usually would, if just because they were on a tight schedule. Not knowing when Loki was due to appear, or if he was already in the caves, made their entire plan even more risky.

“What do you need?” Kate asked the crewmember. Victor? She wasn’t sure. 

He jerked a thumb behind him, pointing towards a small pile of muskets. “Those are all of the ones we could find. We have ten.” Kate had never actually seen Clint shoot anything that wasn’t a target, not even when her father went hunting in the country. She was always regulated to the house or cottage or wherever they happened to be, sitting around and acting like a polite young lady. 

That being said, she was quite certain that Clint would not need ten shots to hit six targets. Kate nodded and glanced back at the man in question. He was watching the deck with his eagle eyes and raised an eyebrow at her. She nodded again and he asked if she wanted him to come over, hands moving with a practiced ease from years of signing. 

Kate was much better than she had been, but she was forced to spell out ‘musket’ and ‘examine’ regardless. Clint seemed to get the jist of the message though and walked over, giving Victor a slight acknowledgement but mostly ignoring him in favor of looking at the weapons. The pirate clearly wasn’t certain if he was dismissed or not; Kate did him a favor and told him that he was freed from his current duties. 

Clint looked over the assorted firearms the pirates had amassed. There had been a small arms storage on the ship, which were why two of the rifles had bayonets on the end. He snorted and took them off, setting them aside. Kate tapped his shoulder and waited when he held a hand up, still looking through the guns. For reasons she couldn’t tell, he set aside three before straightening up and nodding.

 _Is now a bad time to ask how good of a S-N-I-P-E-R you were?_ Kate asked him, uncertain of the proper sign and spelling the word out instead. Clint was always extremely vague about who had taught him everything about signing, but she did know that he had not always been deaf. Some incident in the army had led to the loss of almost all of his hearing, though he refused to tell her any details.

What she did know, however, was that he was really damn good at darts. Was that a sign of a good sniper or did he just happen to spend a lot of time in bars? Kate had never asked. 

Clint rolled his eyes. _I was the best, Katie-Kate._ Her name sign was a combination of ‘princess’ and ‘bird,’ both with origins absolutely foreign to her. _Shame there aren’t any bows. For this distance and type of shot, they would be more reliable._ It was probably a sign of some strange upbringing that Kate knew all of the signs he made. 

“Kate, is Clint ready?” America called over. She addressed Kate even though the whole crew knew that Clint was essentially his own man, regardless of whether he was employed by the Bishops or not. If America realized that Clint was deaf, she had not said anything or asked. Kate could appreciate someone like that. After this was all over, she would miss America’s blunt but cordial nature. 

_Ready to blow up a pirate ship?_ Kate asked Clint. He grinned and, really, why had she even asked? His answer was obvious.

_Always._

(*)(*)(*)(*)

“They’re here.” It was a statement made with absolute certainty and Billy had no idea how Tommy knew. The pirate narrowed his eyes as they crawled on the ground, attempting to remain unseen. Mainly the concern was Tommy’s bright hair, though the shade of his coat was not very well suited for sneaking in the mud and grass either. “Did you hear me?” Tommy asked. 

Billy nodded before remembering that Tommy couldn’t see him. “Yes. But how can you tell?” He asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Ahead, the pirate physically stopped and twisted around so he could shoot Billy an exasperated look. “We’ve been crawling for at least half an hour, there is no possibility that you have seen them.” 

“And here I am thinking that we are starting to trust one another,” Tommy muttered before continuing. They made it several more feet before he spoke up. “I can smell them.” Billy raised an eyebrow and stopped, sniffing the air. “It’s not something you would notice; I spent years aboard their ship, it was my home.” 

Billy still wasn’t sure how Tommy could tell, but he had no way of disproving it either. Besides, the ground was hard and the air crisp, but he wasn’t about to admit that he was uncomfortable. Not while the pirate just went forward as if he was taking a Sunday stroll. Well, not entirely accurate, but close enough. 

In all honesty, it wasn’t quite clear why they had to crawl this final distance. Tommy had said something about keeping a low profile and ensuring that the other pirates didn’t see them, but Billy was quite confident they would be able to hear anyone coming long before encountering them. The island was quiet, not in an unnatural way, but enough so that every shift of grass echoed in Billy’s head.

Tommy stopped suddenly and Billy almost ran into him. Feeling a surge of annoyance, at the entire situation and more specifically at the silver haired pirate, Billy opened his mouth to complain but had no opportunity to speak. Instead, he found himself being pulled behind a rock and a particularly high patch of grass by Tommy. Billy scowled and glared at him, even as Tommy motioned for him to be silent.

“No, I am not going to--” Tommy covered Billy’s mouth with a filthy glove, right in time for the two to hear the sound of someone coming through the grass. 

Or, rather, many someones.

 _Loki,_ Billy’s mind helpfully supplied. He risked a glance over the rock and was not disappointed. There was the pirate captain himself, Billy assumed, wearing a green coat with golden trim over pale skin. Before he could get a better look, though, Tommy yanked him back down. The two men exchanged no words, but the look on Tommy’s face was quite clear. Unfortunately for him, the answer was quite clear to Billy.

He was a tad more careful this time as he peered over the rock once more, this time ensuring that only his eyes and the top of his hair were visible. Billy scanned the group of unfamiliar faces for Teddy; the pirates were all marching in a rough line so it was not difficult to spot him. Well that and he was towards the front. In fact, he seemed to be listening to something Loki was saying. 

Billy couldn’t make out the words and he mentally cursed the decision not to bring Kate. She was much better at reading lips than he, or at least she claimed to be. At one of the dinner parties they had been forced to interact at, Kate had made a big show of reading the lips of people engaged in other conversations, often leading to a mix of interesting and humorous results. 

Still, Teddy was alive. In fact, he seemed to be rather resigned to his fate and even replied to something Loki said, though his words were short. He didn’t appear any skinnier than the last time Billy saw him and, if anything, his clothes were actually of a higher quality. For some reason, that made Billy more upset than it probably should have. The gentleman found himself gritting his teeth, anger growing. 

Would it be so hard to just take a pistol and shoot Loki? The accuracy of a shot wouldn’t be exact, but Loki was presenting such an easy target… Besides, Billy didn’t need to kill him immediately. A well-placed lead ball would prove just as fatal as a sword to the gut, it was just much less personal. 

As if sensing what Billy was sorely tempted to do, Tommy placed a hand on the gentleman’s arm and shook his head from side to side. Billy scowled and wanted to argue, but his chance was lost already. Loki began to walk away, farther from where he and Tommy were hiding, and soon there was a practical herd of pirates between Loki and any assassination attempt. 

Billy’s scowl deepened and he wrenched his arm away from Tommy, sorely tempted to kick the pirate away. “What the hell?” He hissed, settling on verbal abuse for the time being. Tommy, for his part, seemed unoffended entirely and just rolled his eyes. 

“You know that you would have missed him entirely. Or, even worse, you would have hit Teddy and made this entire ordeal for naught.” Tommy said it in a manner like some would discuss the weather or the latest results of an election. So, naturally, Billy felt his blood start to boil, anger that was already present beginning to seep over and turn his vision red. 

No one had ever accused Billy of thinking over his actions. 

“Do not _dare_ speak of Teddy like he is a mere goal, an end to an adventure of some sort, some kind of puppet in your games! He is my friend and I am in _love_ with him and I will not tolerate you referring to him as any less,” Billy told Tommy in no uncertain terms, only managing to keep his voice to a low hiss because his throat did not seem to work any better. 

There was a moment of silence while Tommy considered Billy’s words, his thoughts hidden behind green eyes and a ridiculous mask. “Why do you even wear that thing anyway?” Billy questioned, suddenly deciding to abandon all pretenses of gentlemenhood. They were not aiding him in the slightest; better for him to express his true emotions in hope of raising a reaction. “Is it because you are horribly scarred? A freak who must hide behind a piece of fabric?” 

Tommy opened and closed his mouth, though Billy did not see. The pirate found himself at a loss for words at this angry, irrational Billy. Clearly being so close to Teddy, yet being unable to rescue him, had struck a nerve. If he was thinking clearly, Billy would have recognized that and been able to calm down. But, well, he was many things at that moment and relaxed was most definitely not one of them. 

“Take it off.” Tommy raised an eyebrow, unsure if he had heard correctly. “You did not mishear me. Take your mask off. I will go no further with a pirate who insists on hiding half of his face.” It was childish and foolish and so many other things that Tommy was certain that he could argue his way through this if he wished.

But, well, he was getting tired of all of his arguments with Billy and thought that perhaps this would make things just a little bit better. Or, at the very least, less confusing and complicated for the both of them. After all, it was the gentry class of England that was so hung up on physical evidence and all of that fine, scientific proof. Surely there could be nothing more clear of familial relations than an identical face.

So Tommy took the bandana off and let it fall to the ground, watching Billy’s face morph into confusion and then denial. The gentleman shook his head and blinked several times. This, of all things, was not what he had expected.

Billy had looked into a mirror often enough to tell when he was looking at his own face, his own reflection, and now it was the same experience except the hair and the eyes were wrong. Otherwise, however, Tommy was an identical copy to Billy. They even had the same crook in their noses, one that Billy had long since belonged to some childhood accident. It clearly didn’t; either that or Tommy had been in an identical incident as a young boy.

“We could be twins,” Billy murmured, reaching out despite himself and running a thumb along the side of Tommy’s face. The pirate managed an uneasy grin.

“Speak for yourself,” he replied with a shrug, “I am actually quite handsome.” Billy scowled, no doubt wanting to say something equally witty in return, but then it really hit him. Tommy was _identical_ to Billy. They were most certainly not just family, but twins. Tommy was the long-lost brother that Billy didn’t even know he had. 

“Oh my God. We’re twins.” Billy blinked a few times as he stumbled back, hands covering his mouth as he head began to reel. Tommy felt sorry for him, really. The last few weeks had not been easy for the gentleman. Really, though, Billy was too busy feeling sorry for himself and trying to understand what this newfound realization even meant. 

_Brothers with a pirate,_ Billy’s mind hissed. _And you were just going to let him hang._ Despite the fact that Teddy was captured and still in very real danger at the hands of Loki, some part of Billy couldn’t help but feel fortunate for what had happened. If not for the pirate attack, Tommy would most certainly be dead by now and Billy would have been none the wiser.

It wasn’t even that he particularly liked Tommy, nor did the discovery of a familial bond create some kind of heartfelt fondness in Billy’s mind. Just, well, he had spent the majority of his life craving the knowledge that he wasn’t the only one out there, hoping to God that he would find someone else from his first family. Even if Tommy was a pirate who claimed to know who Billy’s real mother was, at the very least he was someone Billy could look to and say was a brother.

“You know our mother?” Billy asked, glancing up at Tommy. The pirate was taking this all awfully well, though no doubt he had managed his own little crisis much earlier. Still, Tommy hesitated before nodding, throwing in a shrug for good measure.

“Know is a relative term. I believe that Wanda Maximoff thinks that she is your mother, but whether or not she recognizes me as her son is another matter.” There was a hint of bitterness in his voice and Billy felt his heart squeeze. Of course it made sense for Tommy to be insecure about this. It had never occurred to Billy that their mother might not acknowledge him because he was a pirate or for another reason.

If it was true then Billy would have to really reconsider whether he wanted to be part of this family. 

Tommy sensed what was going through Billy’s head and chuckled. “Cheer up, little brother. I’m sure our mother just has more important things to worry about. No doubt she knew about the curse on the treasure and seeked to be rid of the danger by gathering us together.” Billy had no idea if Tommy was even close to correct, but he supposed there was no harm in accepting it. 

He did have one question, though. “Does Loki know? That you and I are twins?” Tommy shook his head almost immediately; he had been thinking about it and come to the conclusion that there was no chance Loki would have left him in the cell had he known. “Is that why the curse didn’t affect you?” Billy asked.

Tommy shook his head and stood, feeling rather safe now that Loki and the main party of pirates had already passed. Following them would be easy; they were doing nothing to conceal themselves and it wasn’t like Tommy didn’t know where they were going in the first place. Billy followed his lead and stretched, eyes hardly leaving his twin. There was most certainly a sense of disbelief that still hung in Billy’s mind. He doubted it would leave until someone, most likely the mysterious Wanda Maximoff, confirmed everything that he had been told. 

“The curse didn’t affect me because I was not in possession of any of the cursed gold.” Tommy sighed and reached down to put the bandana back on. “The longer Loki is unaware of our relation, the better for both you and I. Though, now that he believes Teddy is actually you, we are both in significantly less danger.” He looked at Billy, who met his gaze.

 _I wonder what it would have been like if we had grown up together,_ Billy thought. Would they have gotten along? Would they have lived in the country or the city? Where did Wanda Maximoff even live? And, beyond just that, who was their father? Billy wondered if Tommy knew and was keeping it a secret, but there was no reason for him to do that. Not at this point.

Billy managed a small smile and clasped Tommy on the shoulder, squeezing the way he would do to any other comrade in arms. To anyone he considered a brother. “Come on, Tommy. Let’s go stop your crazy old friend and save Teddy.” Without waiting for a reply, Billy walked off. Tommy blinked once and then sighed.

“Well when you put it like that,” he muttered, following. He wouldn’t really call Loki an old friend anymore, but whatever made Billy happy. 

“Also, who says you’re the oldest?” Billy asked, turning around and walking backwards. Tommy scowled and started to catch up, only managing to trip over a rock and almost fall flat on his face. Billy burst out laughing and, after a moment, Tommy joined in. 

And, for a short time, Billy convinced himself that everything was going to be ok.

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Clint got into the rowboat with eight muskets, lowered from the main ship which was positioned so it was just out of sight of _The Nidhogg_ but still had the ocean currents pulling towards the pirate vessel. Kate watched him go, fear churning at her own stomach. Her hand curled around the railing of the ship. If America noticed she said nothing, dark eyes peering over the ocean as the two watched Clint drift further and further away.

With any luck, the pirates on _The Nidhogg_ would not be prepared for such an attack. Certainly they might notice the strange addition of rowboats floating towards their ship, but by that point it would hopefully be too late. Clint could take the shots and send the pirates up to high heaven. At least, that was the plan. 

Kate wasn’t sure how she was feeling about it, being forced to just stand there as the man who had been her only friend for so long go headfirst into ridiculous danger without any chance of rescue if he should fail. But that train of thought was just anxiety inducing and there was nothing Kate could do now; she forced herself to think of something else, wondering instead how Billy and Tommy were fairing. 

No doubt the two were already struggling not to kill one another, which was an acceptable risk considering the clash in personalities and the sheer amount of tension that had existed around them recently. Kate could only hope that they would return, and soon, alive and well. With Teddy, of course. She had only met him a few times in passing, but it was clear even then that there was a bond between him and Billy. At the time she had believed it to be friendship, perhaps even a brotherhood. Now she was not so certain.

America clicked her tongue. “This was a stupid idea, _chica._ If he misses…” She stopped, knowing that there was no need to give a voice to all of Kate’s thoughts. Still, in a way it was reassuring to hear that someone else had the same fears. On the other hand, it made Kate’s nightmares of losing Clint to pirates, ones that she had not had since she was a child, rear their ugly heads. 

_He will be fine,_ Kate told herself. _He knows what he’s doing._

Sensing that thought, America said just as much. “He’s a tough man and he is fiercely loyal to you,” she added. “Nothing would be able to prevent him from returning to you.” Except for death, but America left that part out. Kate was thankful for that. 

“I know,” she replied. “But he has been my guardian since I was a small child and not having him by my side has always been… strange.” For a moment, Kate feared that she would drive away America, with whom she felt a tentative friendship begin to grow. After all, what were the chances of her understanding what it was like to have someone literally paid to follow in your footsteps? 

But no, America just nodded, though she said nothing. Kate wondered if America had once had someone close to her, a version of her own Clint. But even as soon as she thought of it, Kate realized that it was the other way around. America needed no guardian; she was one herself. Which, of course, begged the question: where was the person she was protecting? 

“Do you think they’ll notice him?” Noah murmured. He had never really gotten on board with the idea in the first place, but he at least was going with it and had even offered to go in the dinghy with Clint as an extra pair of hands. Of course the blonde had declined, but Kate knew that it wasn’t because he didn’t trust Noah or anything like that.

Simply put, Clint worked best alone. It’s why Kate’s parents only hired him and not an entire task force dedicated to protecting her. Well that and the fact that she kept giving the help the slip every time she disagreed with them. 

“Once they do, it’ll be far too late.” Kate hoped that she sounded confident and not like she had been spending too much time with Tommy and was just talking out of her ass. She was, of course, but that didn’t mean the others had to know. 

It wasn’t like she was scared of them; they might be pirates but despite what her parents might believe they weren’t brutes. America and Noah had an easy camaraderie with each other and Tommy, one that had been opened up to Kate and Billy without question. For the first time in her life, Kate felt like she wasn’t judged based on who her parents were or what fashion she was wearing. Instead it was how she held a sword or the way she listened to America and Noah argue over a game of chess.

Kate liked it. She was going to miss being part of the pirates’ crew when this was all over, and that realization scared her. 

“He’s almost within range,” America decided. Noah shook his head and the two fell into an easy bickering, something they did on a regular basis both to keep one another on their toes and as a way to release stress and tension. They both could quite realistically be considered Tommy’s second-in-command. Kate knew that, officially, the position belonged to Noah. She also knew that America could very easily take it from him, or at least offered herself a serious contender. 

But for whatever reasons, America didn’t want that. She didn’t want to be in that position and she was content to tease and even taunt all the men on the ship. Even though she was usually the only woman, she betrayed no fear. Hell, she purposefully antagonized the others at times, though mostly that was in order to get more coin out of them in a card game. America is a force of nature and Kate can appreciate that.

For now, though, Kate found herself too concerned about Clint to really think about anything else. 

The banter between Noah and America fell to a standstill, each having made their points and now were just waiting for something to happen. Their sight was much better than Kate’s, who was struggling to see anything beyond a few brown dots that let her know about where Clint was. She couldn’t make out which held him and which held gunpowder; the crew had released the gunpowder boats several minutes before Clint left, but there was still an amount of variability with the ocean currents. 

There was so much that Kate couldn’t be certain of, that no one could be certain of, and it was driving her crazy. _Is it too much to ask for this to be over and for everyone to be safe?_ She couldn't help but wonder, fingers itching for the hem of a corset to play with or the soft silk of a fan to touch. As it was, she had to settle for the edge of her borrowed shirt, tugging on a few loose threads.

“Now he’s in range. Before he would have missed as many times as he hit,” Noah muttered, elbowing America. The woman rolled her eyes but said nothing in reply; Clint hadn’t fired a single shot yet, so clearly he was in agreement with Noah. Either that or something had happened and he wasn’t able to get the muskets to work, but Kate refused to believe that. 

Clint had examined each and every single one of the guns, selecting the ones he liked the best. Regardless of how long it had been since his time in the army, it was unrealistic to imagine that he had just forgotten all of his training. Besides, he had gone hunting with her father on many occasions, so it was not impossible that he had kept some amount of familiarity with the weapons in question.

As if some sixth sense informed him that the trio was thinking of him, Clint took a shot. Kate watched, breath blown away, as an explosion rocked the ocean. It sounded like a cannon shot, except the water seemed to dampen the noise. Still, the flash of red and yellow that danced before Kate’s vision was captivating, so much so that she almost missed the whoops and yells of the pirates on her ship.

Another shot rang out and another dinghy exploded. Kate watched in silence as Clint fired six times and made each shot. Though not all of the boats were close enough to _The Nidhogg_ to really do much damage, according to Noah there was at least one major hole in the hull. He gave the small telescope he was using to Kate, who didn’t even try looking at _The Nidhogg._ Her vision was focused on the ocean, looking for the remaining dinghy. 

Clint would have to row back the entire distance, but he had assured Kate that he could do it. _I might be out of shape but I’m not weak,_ he had signed to her, punctuating the message with a casual flex of his arms. Kate had rolled her eyes at him but nothing stopped her from giving him a hug before he left. She had felt all of five years old again, watching her guardian ride off with her father to go hunting while she was left behind. 

_After this I’m going to learn to shoot,_ Kate decided. _Properly too, like Clint._ She was sick and tired of feeling so useless and her father couldn’t watch over her forever. Besides, Clint would teach her. 

She rubbed her eyes and returned to looking for Clint. It was difficult; there was a plethora of debris in the water, all of which looked like it could have come from his boat, but there was no sign of the dark blue jacket he had been wearing. That was reassuring at the very least. Though there were bodies floating in the ocean, none seemed to be Clint. Kate hoped to God they weren’t. 

“America, I can’t find him,” Kate whispered, handing the telescope off to the pirate, hands suddenly shaking too much for her to see anything out of the lense. “Where is he?” Kate asked, leaning against the rail of the ship as if that would help. “Where’s Clint? Can you see him? Do you know where he is?” 

None of the pirates nearby said anything, but America and Noah exchanged a look that was heavy with meaning. Kate felt something in her chest break and she realized that she was about to cry. Forcing the tears back, she reached for the telescope again but was stopped by two strong arms that wrapped around her. 

America brushed Kate’s hair with one hand while rubbing soothing circles on her back with the other. “It’s ok, _chica._ We’ll find him. He’ll be safe.” 

(*)(*)(*)(*) 

On the island, Clint’s rowboat washed ashore, having been pulled aside by the disturbance in the water by the final explosion.

Clint was nowhere to be seen.


End file.
